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Ant Shell / Najeonchilgi

Made to order.
From shell to finished piece.

Korean mother-of-pearl lacquerware, custom-made in our own factory.

We are a mother-of-pearl manufacturer that handles every step ourselves, from raw shell to the finished product. That is why we can build high-quality najeonchilgi pieces around your market, your design and your quantity.

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Mother-of-pearl tumbler collection

Korean heritage

A thousand years of shell and lacquer.

Najeonchilgi is one of Korea's oldest crafts: thin pieces of shell, set into layers of natural lacquer, then polished until the shell glows from within.

Black lacquer chest of drawers inlaid with mother-of-pearl birds, flowers and a longevity character
Lacquer chest with longevity motif
Pair of round lacquer pillow-end panels inlaid with mother-of-pearl tigers, pine and bamboo
Pillow ends with tigers, Joseon dynasty
Black lacquer box with a mother-of-pearl double-happiness character and hexagon pattern
Box with double-happiness character

  1. 8th–9th c.

    Unified Silla

    The earliest Korean mother-of-pearl work appears on bronze mirrors and small objects.

  2. 918–1392

    Goryeo

    The golden age. In 1123 a visiting Song Chinese envoy praised it as “fine and precious”. Only around twenty pieces survive worldwide.

  3. 1392–1910

    Joseon

    Bolder motifs on boxes and furniture, and new techniques such as kkeuneumjil, cut shell strips laid like lines of light.

  4. Today

    Living craft

    Najeonjang (master of mother-of-pearl inlay) has been a National Intangible Cultural Heritage of Korea since 1966. We carry it forward.

One-stop factory

Raw shell in. Finished piece out.

We make our own shell veneer instead of buying it from others. With every stage under one roof, quality stays consistent and lead times stay short.

  1. 01

    Raw shell

    Abalone and pearl oyster shells selected at the source.

  2. 02

    Shell veneer

    Processed into thin, flexible veneer sheets in our Vietnam factory.

  3. 03

    Inlay & lacquer

    Shell is cut, inlaid and finished with layers of lacquer.

  4. 04

    Finished piece

    Inspected, packed and shipped to you, ready to sell.

Why custom with us

Made for your customers.

Your market

Motifs, colors and forms designed for the culture and taste of the customers you serve.

Consistent quality

We control the shell itself, so color, thickness and finish stay the same from sample to full order.

Any product, any scale

From tumblers and gift boxes to furniture, in the quantity your business needs.

Concept collection

What we can make for you.

Design concepts for products in development. Every piece can be adapted to your specifications.

Mother-of-pearl tumblers

Tumblers

Museum and souvenir series with local motifs

Mother-of-pearl decorative plates

Decorative plates

Calligraphy and pattern plates for home and office

Mother-of-pearl quran cases

Quran cases

Keepsake cases for the Middle East market

Mother-of-pearl altar furniture

Altar furniture

Household altars inlaid with shell

Mother-of-pearl logo gift boxes

Logo gift boxes

Corporate gifts with your logo in shell

Mother-of-pearl jewelry boxes

Jewelry boxes

Classic Korean patterns in black lacquer

How it works

From idea to delivery.

  1. Step 1

    Inquiry

    Tell us your product, market and quantity.

  2. Step 2

    Design proposal

    We suggest designs, shell types and finishes.

  3. Step 3

    Sample

    You review a physical sample before production.

  4. Step 4

    Production & delivery

    We manufacture, inspect and ship your order.

Start a custom order

Rooted in Korea.
Working across borders.

Since 1992

Our mother-of-pearl manufacturing story began in Korea in 1992. Today, our production facility is in Vietnam, with sales offices in Korea and China. We manufacture shell veneer for makers, designers and businesses worldwide.

Let’s make something
extraordinary.

Talk to us about shell veneer and your next project.

Contact us