Inlaid Mother of Pearl vase
with Black Lacquer
with Black Lacquer
Vietnam has a wonderful technique that is called Inlaid Mother Of Pearl. This is a complicated process that requires high skill and special techniques. Not every factory is Vietnam is able to do this because it takes years to master the process. Producing Inlaid Mother of Pearl is also a long process that includes over 5 to 6 steps which are as follows:
Step One: Design the product you want to make for inlay Mother of Pearl.
Step Two: Cut the Mother of Pearl pieces into the design you require.Step Three: Cut into the base the same shape and size as the mother of pearl pieces you just cut.Step Four: Glue the mother of pearl pieces into the base. This is where the high skill comes in since the pieces must match almost perfectly just like fitting a piece into a puzzle..Step Five: Spray or paint the color you require for the base. If the base is lacquer it has already been through a 12 step process prior to inlay. So you can see the inlaid Mother of Pearl adds on quite a few steps to the lacquer process making a lacquered inlaid mother of pearl item total about 17 to 18 steps for the entire process.Step Six: Complete the finishing of the piece. The manufacturer has to wait for the paint to dry between several steps of sanding and painting, until there is a completely smooth finish.
In laid mother of Pearl is an ancient art that is over 1,000 years old. Many of the villages that produce this outside Hanoi have been producing for hundreds of years. They normally pass down the technique, skill and secrets from generation to generation.
At Mondoro we have taken this ancient art and used it to make modern designs. Please contact us at
sales@mondoro.com if you would like to see more designs with this in laid mother of pearl technique. This is a great example of how an ancient art can be used for modern day designs.