Craft and design lovers
Hand-place iridescent abalone shell fragments, a technique rooted in Korean mother-of-pearl inlay.
Program 2 / JAGAE
Jagae
Making My Own Wish Stone
Jagae is the traditional Korean craft of mother-of-pearl, where shimmering shell is cut and carved into patterns that each carry a meaning. Its iridescent glow has long adorned beautiful everyday objects in Korea.
Seoul: Wearing Hanbok and Making Mother-of-Pearl Craft (Jagae)
HOEK's Jagae program is a hands-on experience where you create your own "Wish Stone" — a personal talisman crafted from traditional Korean patterns and mother-of-pearl. It is a time, a space, and a learning experience that invites you to slow down and immerse yourself fully in Korean traditional culture.
- Group size
- 1 – 15 people
- Price
- ₩96,000 per person
- Duration
- 120 minutes
- Included
- Hanbok, welcome tea, gift wrapping
The core journey
- 01
Hanbok & Tea Time
The session begins with putting on a hanbok, accompanied by traditional Korean tea and hangwa (Korean confections). A certified mother-of-pearl craft tutor introduces the history of Jagae within Korean culture, the symbolic meanings behind traditional patterns such as the crane, pine tree, and lotus flower, and the aesthetic principles that have guided Korean craft for centuries.
- 02
Lecture on Mother-of-Pearl Craft
A brief lecture on the history and meaning of mother-of-pearl inlay in Korean craft tradition.
- 03
Express Your Wish with Traditional Korean Patterns
Express your personal wish through mother-of-pearl, using traditional Korean patterns. Choose from patterns that each carry their own meaning, or design a pattern with a meaning uniquely your own.
- 04
Creating Your Jagae Wish Stone
This is the heart of the workshop. Under close guidance from your tutor, you will place hand-cut pieces of mother-of-pearl onto your stone, one by one. The process is slow, precise, and quietly immersive. There is no need to rush. Once complete, your stone is finished with a protective coating and sealant.
- 05
Korean-Style Bojagi Wrapping
Your Wish Stone is wrapped in a traditional Korean bojagi cloth and accompanies you home as a one-of-a-kind memento of your time in Seoul.
Recommended for
Recommended for you
Those who want a personal talisman
Arrange shells onto a natural stone to create your own Wish Stone totem to take home.
A keepsake full of meaning
Take home a Wish Stone made by your own hands, a handcrafted souvenir that carries the meaning and beauty of Korean mother-of-pearl art.
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