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Raden
Japanese decorative craft / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the title of Javanese nobility, see Priyayi § Raden.
Raden (螺鈿) is a Japanese term[1] for one of the decorative techniques used in traditional crafts and woodwork. It refers to a method of inserting nacre into a carved surface of lacquer or wood.[1] The kanji for ra (螺) means 'shell' and den (鈿) means 'inlaid'. Raden is a term used only for the technique or work of inlaying thin layers of pearl shells. In Japan, the technique of embedding the mother of pearl of shellfish in lacquer is called raden, while the technique of embedding metal or ivory is called zōgan (象嵌).
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The term may also be used for similar traditional work from Korea called najeonchilgi (螺鈿漆器[2]), or countries in South-East Asia such as Vietnam, or for modern work done in the West.