Shopofkorea guides
Collecting Traditional Accessories for Myself, Starting with a Najeon Hand Mirror
Official product names are shown in Korean. Product pages are in Korean; prices are in South Korean won (KRW).
Honestly, I used to think that way too. Why would a Korean person buy traditional accessories — it's not like I'm a foreigner, and you see them everywhere. But strangely, I could never walk away from a small handcrafted object. When I see something the size of a palm with a pattern or a knot worked into it, I want to have it. So I started setting a little aside each payday, bringing pieces home one by one, and finding a pretty spot for them somewhere in the house — and that has become my small pleasure.
It was an ordinary weekday afternoon as winter was drawing to a close. That day it wasn't a gift for anyone. I simply wanted to add one more piece to the top of my dresser.
I Started by Searching for a 'Najeon Hand Mirror'
At first I looked for najeon (mother-of-pearl inlay work). I browsed through various results using terms like najeon hand mirror and najeon mirror, and then stopped for a long time in front of two designs. One was a jangsaengdo (a traditional longevity motif featuring cranes, deer, and pine trees), and the other was a soft pink maehwa (plum blossom). I spent a long time comparing them, trying to choose just one, but in the end I couldn't. The jangsaengdo had a weighty, dignified quality, while the maehwa felt like spring.
So I ended up bringing both home — one was the 원터치자개손거울-장생도 (one-touch najeon hand mirror, jangsaengdo design),
and the one to place beside it was the 원터치자개손거울-분홍매화 (one-touch najeon hand mirror, pink maehwa design).
Each is about 7 cm wide and 7.5 cm tall, so it fits neatly in the hand. Because the najeon is natural mother-of-pearl, the light catches it a little differently from every angle. It opens with one touch, so you could carry it in a bag and use it on the go, but I find them too precious for that — for now they are purely for display.
After adding the mirrors to my cart, I got greedy. I searched for bookmarks too, and looked up cup coasters and chopstick rests. The maehwa pattern had won me over, so I matched the bookmark to it as well. That was the 금장책갈피- 매화나무 (gold-framed bookmark, plum blossom tree design) — a plum blossom tree cut through a gold background, with a yellow knotted cord attached. I bought two; I'll explain why a little later.
For the dining table I chose the 모시컵받침-조각보 (ramie cup coaster, jogakbo patchwork design). It is a 10 cm square piece of ramie with various fabric scraps joined together. The listing said the color and design would arrive at random since it is handmade, which actually made me curious about what I would get.
The last item was the 청자수저받침-원앙세트 (celadon chopstick-and-spoon rest, mandarin duck set). The soft jade color and mandarin duck shape made me feel like food would somehow taste better with it beside the table.
Opening the Box Put Me in a Good Mood
A few days later the package arrived. Each item was wrapped tightly in bubble wrap, and the mirrors came in their cases with an additional layer of bubble wrap around them. A fragile sticker was placed where it could be clearly seen on the outside. Even though everything was just for me, having it arrive so carefully wrapped made me happy the whole time I was unwrapping it.
Once I got home, I stood the two hand mirrors side by side on top of the dresser — one jangsaengdo, one maehwa. That alone made the dresser look completely different.
I slipped one bookmark into the book I was reading. With the other one, I twisted my hair up and tried pinning it in like a binyeo (traditional Korean hairpin). That isn't its intended use, but at about 7.5 cm long it suited a short updo quite well. The yellow knotted cord trailing down the back looked pretty, so I still do it occasionally. That was the reason I bought two.
The cup coaster sits on one side of the dining table, and I take the chopstick-and-spoon rest out at mealtimes. Having a traditional motif on the everyday objects I use has changed the look of the table.
I Almost Have to Hide Them
Not long ago a friend came to visit, looked along the dresser, and said, "Are you dealing in cultural artifacts?" We all laughed, but then someone asked if they could have one. So lately, when guests come over, I've been quietly putting a few pieces away and then researching how to bring them back out and display them again once I'm alone.
Some people ask why I buy things like this if they're not for gifts. But the things you choose for yourself are the ones you see every day. When I pass by the mirror in the morning and the mother-of-pearl catches the light, my mood lifts a little.
Next I'm thinking of adding a sagunja (four gracious plants) design. I feel like one more piece lined up beside the jangsaengdo and the maehwa would complete the row perfectly. The 자개손거울-사군자 (najeon hand mirror, sagunja design) is a little lighter than the one-touch style.
If you're thinking of just starting to collect traditional craft pieces, placing a hand mirror the way I did is a perfectly fine beginning. It's small, so the commitment is low, and a spot for it appears before you know it.
This account is based on an actual purchase experience; individuals and institutions have been anonymized and some scenes have been reconstructed.