{"product_id":"mother-of-pearl-jewelry-box-pine-tree-and-crane-motif-on-purple-hanji","title":"Mother of Pearl Jewelry Box: Pine Tree and Crane Motif on Purple Hanji","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis piece is chosen by those who value quiet endurance and symbolism that reveals itself through attentive looking.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e“A landscape unfolds in stillness, as if time has paused beneath a deepening sky.”\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis jewellery box is conceived not merely as a vessel, but as a pictorial surface shaped by narrative and balance. The butterfly-shaped metal handle marks the point of entry; lifting the lid reveals a contained interior for treasured possessions, while a mirror set discreetly inside the lid allows for moments of reflection without disturbing the calm of the object as a whole.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAcross the surface, thinly worked shell pieces are cut and composed to form a monumental pine tree, its trunk extending deliberately down the front of the box rather than remaining confined to the lid. In Korean cultural tradition, the pine tree symbolises constancy, longevity, and moral steadfastness—an evergreen presence that endures through seasons and hardship. Here, its form anchors the entire composition, unifying lid and body into a single visual field.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAround the pine, cranes move with measured grace. Long associated with longevity and noble spirit in Korean iconography, the cranes introduce a sense of quiet movement and aspiration. Their presence balances the pine’s grounded strength with lightness and air. At the base of the tree, small squirrels are depicted in gentle motion, an intimate detail that softens the grandeur of the scene and brings life to the lower register of the composition. This inclusion reflects a traditional sensitivity to scale, where the monumental and the modest coexist within one landscape.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe pine needles are rendered using a different variety of shell, creating subtle shifts in texture and tone. Rather than asserting contrast, this variation rewards close viewing, allowing light to move unevenly across the surface and giving the tree its sense of depth and vitality. The overall effect recalls a painted landscape scroll, where distance, hierarchy, and narrative are suggested rather than declared.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBeneath the layered shellwork lies a ground of traditional Korean hanji, dyed to a deep, muted purple and wrapped around the body before the decorative surface is completed. The colour is absorbed into the fibres of the paper itself, lending weight and softness without gloss. Against this inward-toned ground, the shellwork appears composed and restrained, its iridescence emerging quietly rather than commanding attention.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe purple hanji draws the scene towards contemplation, evoking the atmosphere of a landscape at dusk, when colour deepens and meaning settles. Form and symbol remain, but they are offered slowly, through repeated looking and familiarity.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe box’s form is compact and measured, with softened edges and fittings that serve function before ornament. Nothing here seeks immediacy. The object invites a slower relationship—opened, returned to, and understood over time.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn this way, the box exists not as decoration, but as a steady presence: a place where personal valuables rest within a landscape shaped by endurance, harmony, and quiet life.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWidth- 17cm (6.69 inch)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDepth- 11cm (4.33 inch)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHeight- 7cm (2.76 inch)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRelated Links\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.artinko.com\/blogs\/korean-culture\/about-mother-of-pearl-art\"\u003eAbout Mother of Pearl Art\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mother of Pearls","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42681574195431,"sku":"","price":70.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0634\/0100\/1191\/products\/il_fullxfull.3259845073_49xs.jpg?v=1646881987","url":"https:\/\/www.artinko.com\/fr-gb\/products\/mother-of-pearl-jewelry-box-pine-tree-and-crane-motif-on-purple-hanji","provider":"ArtinKo","version":"1.0","type":"link"}