ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the neglected lacquerwork craftsmen. It examines how Korean lacquerwork production changed during the period by investigating some different cases of Korean craftsmen who spent time in Japan. The chapter describes the case of several artisans who went to Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture, and examines how their exposure to new tools and techniques there influenced their work, especially regarding mother-of-pearl inlay, in Korea. It discusses the spread of the Japanese dry-lacquer technique through Kang Chang-gyu, the only Korean student who attended the Tokyo School of Fine Arts. The style of work demonstrably changed through his experience in Japan and, as Kang gained influence, subsequently affected the craft of Korean lacquerwork. A few craftsmen’s visits to Japan and the cultural exchanges that occurred there between Korean and Japanese craftsmen eventually caused revolutionary changes in the genre of Korean lacquerwork.
