Mother of Pearl Inlay Brooch – Korean Sanggam Art

A scholar's water dropper, reimagined as something you carry close — the weight of meaning made wearable.

The Mother of Pearl Inlay Brooch is part of MU:DS's Korean Heritage Series, drawing directly from artefacts held at the National Museum of Korea. Each piece is handcrafted in maple wood using the traditional Sanggam (상감) inlay technique — surfaces engraved and filled with natural Jagae (자개) mother of pearl cut to shape and set by hand. The three motifs — Peony (모란), Carp (잉어), and Lotus (연꽃) — are drawn from Joseon and Goryeo ceramics: not as decorative quotations, but as living symbols of Gilsang (길상), the Korean tradition of inviting auspicious energy through form.

Worn on a linen coat collar as a considered focal point, the iridescent pearl catches light differently with every movement. Placed on its display stand on a dressing table, it functions equally as jewellery and as a small object of beauty. Given as a graduation gift with the Carp motif, the symbol of rising through effort carries meaning from giver to recipient without a word of explanation. PEUM holds this piece as a bridge between the artefact and the everyday.

For the person whose style is built on meaning, not trend — a gift that carries intention in both design and symbol. Handcrafted in South Korea using the Sanggam technique. Each brooch is a single piece of wearable heritage.