For kkeuneumjil technique, mother-of-pearl is cut into long thin strips, which are then used to create decorative motifs, often consisting of geometric or pictorial designs. The technique was used as early as the Goryeo period, but did not enjoy its peak popularity until the nineteenth and early twentieth century.
This is a stationery chest decorated with tortoiseshell design on the door panels and landscape design on the top panel, exemplifying good use of the kkeuneumjil technique of the late Joseon Dynasty. The small tortoiseshell patterns are elaborately inlaid without any distortion, and the exquisite landscape design appears like a painting exhibiting the delicate quality of the kkeuneumjil technique.