Practised across Tongyeong, Seoul, and Wonju since the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties, Najeonchilgi artisans saw, file, and acid-polish iridescent abalone and turban shells into paper-thin ribbons (jureumjil) or Geometric tesserae (kkeuninjil) pressed onto seasoned wood coated in raw ottchil tree sap. 1
Repeated curing in humid drying cabinets followed by charcoal-and-horn polishing reveals luminous mother-of-pearl chrysanthemum, crane, and longevity landscapes flush within jet-black lacquer. 1
