Patterns of Mother-of-Pearl Craftwork Sketches and the Way of Supply and Demand of the Works in Modern and Contemporary Times

Mother-of-Pearl craftwork sketch involves the whole process of making a piece of work. Therefore, it includes types, forms, sizes, and patterns of the work.Some information about when and by whom those works were manufactured and who ordered them are still found in some sketches.This paper seeks to find out popular types and patterns of the works in each period and its demand and the way of supply by examining the collection of approximately 1700 Mother-of-Pearl craftwork sketches from the period of Japanese colonization up to the present time, which are owned by Mr. Song Bang-wung, Important Intangible Cultural Heritage no.10.Typical patterns of sketches are the hua-jo(花鳥:Flowers and Birds), the Sakunja(四君子:Four Gracious Plants), cultural treasures, figures in folk tales, Su-bok(壽福) characters, and landscape.The pattern sketches have changed according to the circumstances of Korean society. During the period of Japanese colonization from the 1920s to the 1940s the manufacture and the supply and demand of Mother-of-Pearl craftworks were controled by the Japanese government. As a result, many of the patterns were adjusted to the Japanese taste. Most of its customers were also Japanese.During the 1950s after Independence the American Military Forces appeared as new customers due to the Korean War. Thus, the traditional Korean patterns to decorate accessories adored by American soldiers gained popularity.Foreign Mother-of-Perls were imported from the late 1960s to the 1970s. They were bigger and more colorful than those of Korean and it enabled the sketches bigger and the patterns more various.The most popular pattern in this period was the pattern of cultural treasures, such as an image of Buddha, metalcraft works, porcelains and pagodas. In terms of a technique, new techniques, such as engraving and rusting were introduced.There was a great demand for Mother-of-Pearl craftworks in the 1970s as people were highly interested in them. They were entirely made to order and there was a large demand from diverse organizations, furniture dealers and individuals.And the Mother-of-Pearl craftwork was in full flourish in the 1970s due to the country s economic development and the growth of national income. Mass production of the works was possible and the professional designers who drew patterns actively worked in this period.The favor of Mother-of-Pearl craftworks declined in the 1980s since the built-in furniture and the Western style of furniture became prevalent due to the change of housing into apartments.But it seemed that the manufacture of Mother-of-Pearl craftworks revived for once the technique of Kunum-jil(끊음질 : cutting and attaching) became popular in Tong-young(統營). After the 1990s, however, the making of Mother-of-Pearl craftworks gradually declined as the need of them decreased. Now it barely maintains its existence by a few artisans.