Lacquered Wood Jewelry Box Inlaid with Mother of Pearl Longevity Design

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This exquisite jewelry box is lavishly decorated with a mother of pearl design of sipjangsaeng, 10 creatures that ancient Koreans, influenced by the Taoist philosophy, believed were created to enjoy eternal youth: sun, stone, water, cloud, pine tree, deer, bulnocho ('herb of eternal youth'), turtle, crane, and mountain. Inspired by the belief in a Taoist utopian world resided by Taoist elders who had found the secret of eternal life, ancient Koreans revealed their dreams of such a world through the 10 creatures.

The structure of the two doors above and two drawers below, as well as the three drawers on the inside is conceived from the traditional Korean wardrobe, and offers a pleasant way for storing valuable personal ornaments such as jewelry.

The houseware coated with natural lacquer has long been used in East Asia for its glossy beauty as well as its practicality for being strong, watertight and antibacterial.