Luodian is the traditional Chinese technique of inlaying mother-of-pearl into lacquer or wood.
The craft uses thin pieces of shell, especially nacre, cut into decorative shapes and set into a surface. Artisans may combine the iridescent shell with lacquer, wood, or other materials to form birds, flowers, landscapes, geometric designs, and auspicious symbols. The shell’s changing colors give the finished object a distinctive shimmering appearance.
Luodian was practiced in China for centuries and became especially important in decorative furniture, boxes, cabinets, musical instruments, and other luxury objects. Some works use extremely small shell fragments, demanding precise cutting and careful polishing.
Luodian is often confused with cloisonné, but the techniques are fundamentally different. Cloisonné uses metal compartments filled with vitreous enamel, whereas luodian embeds shell into a supporting surface. It is also distinct from qi diao, a carved-lacquer technique in which designs are cut into thick layers of lacquer.