A 'beauty case' like this one was part of the standard equipment for a woman from the upper-middle class, or the aristocracy. A mirror belongs with the chest, wedged between the upper lid and the lower body of the piece. Mirrors were originally made from polished bronze. In the nineteenth century mirror glass was increasingly used. Inlay work with mother-of-pearl is also found in China, Japan, and Ryukyu. The most characteristic feature of Korean inlaying is the way in which the small pieces are not joined. The effect is rather like a jigsaw puzzle.