☆Najeonchil-gi is a craft made from conch, abalone, shellfish, etc. on a lacquer surface, and is a representative artifact of Korean people with a well-coordinated lacquer, which boasts a colorful natural color and a subtle gloss. (Najeon=mother-of-pearl, chilgi=lacquerware)

Gwangju is known as "a three-black town" due to its high production of lacquer, ink and charcoal, and lacquerware and tools have been found in the historic site No. 375 of Sinchang-dong, proving the long history of lacquer crafts.

Kim Ki-bok is a master of the art of making najeon(lacquer making) and aesthetic value. Born in Tongyeong, he has continued to play najeon for more than 50 years since the 16th century. He entered the Najeonchilgi Technical School in Tongyeong and received the skills and moved to Gwangju at the age of 19. In particular, he is good at 'dry' technique, which is a technique for drying lacquer.

The term Chiljang refers to the craftsman who creates lacquerware by applying lacquer -- or the refined sap of lacquer trees (Rhus verniciflua) -- to various objects. The first trace of lacquer use dates back to the third century BCE, but the earliest relics of lacquerware date back to the first century BCE.

Lacquerware began to develop into an art form during the Nangnang (Lelang) Period and progressed further in the Silla Kingdom. In the Goryeo Dynasty, lacquered works were decorated with mother-of-pearl inlay, creating a new art form called najeon chilgi. In the Joseon Dynasty, lacquerware became more common, and many works were produced. The state compiled data on the distribution of lacquer trees nationwide and collected the sap from these trees. Lacquer craftsmen working in the capital and in the provinces were affiliated with their local government offices.

The raw lacquer from the trees had to be refined before it could be used, and lacquer craftsmen would do the refining themselves. The refining process removes impurities and creates a fine particle liquid. Creating lacquer works is a long, laborious process. The item to be lacquered, called soji, had to be made of materials that are easy to work with and to paint, including wood, bamboo, cloth, paper, clay, and metal.

First the object is smoothed down, and then the lacquer is built up in many coats, requiring lacquering, smoothing, and drying over and over again. Basically, the process is divided into three steps: chochil (first lacquering), jungchil (middle lacquering), and sangchil (final lacquering). After the final coat, the object is vigorously polished.☆

☆ Chiljang refers to a person who has the skill and function of making lacquerware, and lacquer refers to a container in which wood extract is painted on wood.

The types of lacquer include raw, refined-raw, and refined paint. Saengchil(raw) uses the same state as it was taken from lacquer in a traditional way. Refined-raw paint is used to apply foreign substances in the raw paint to the medicinal stuff or containers. Refined paint refers to paint made in various colors for application to crafts and industrial products.

The ingredients of lacquer are rubber-like, effective in waterproofing, and not rotting, so in the past, almost lacquer was used in funeral coffins. As lacquer ages, it becomes harder and has the effect of preventing moisture and insects. There are many reasons why the Tripitaka Koreana could be preserved for a long time in the past, but lacquer played a major role.

Chil(lacquering) is a traditional craftsmanship that has many effects and subtle beauty, and Shin Jung-hyun has been recognized as the holder of the function. In addition to lacquerware, no.1 of Seoul Intangible Cultural Heritage is designated as one of four more categories: lacquer, yellow lacquer, colorful lacquer and blue lacquer. The holders are Son Dae-hyun (copper lacquer), Hong Dong-hwa (hwang Chil), Kim Sang-yang (coloured paint), and Jeong Byeong-ho (choung Byeong-ho).

※※ For detailed information on the above cultural assets, please refer to the Seoul Metropolitan Government Department of Historical and Cultural Heritage (02-2133-2616).