Inlaid lacquers of the Koryo dynasty (918–1392) are of unprecedented delicacy and intricacy. This small trefoil container, one of the finest examples of this technique, is inlaid with mother-of-pearl and colored tortoiseshell on a black lacquer ground to produce a dense pattern of chrysanthemums and foliate scrolls. The edges of the box are reinforced with twisted brass wire. The object's shape suggests that it may have been part of a set of boxes containing incense, an essential accompaniment of Buddhist ritual.