What Is Mother-of-Pearl Inlay?
The inlay art in which glowing nacre is set piece by piece into dark wood; its technique, materials and finesse.
Arakiye Editor·7 July 2026·1 min read
Mother-of-pearl inlay is the setting of nacre, tortoiseshell or ivory pieces into a hard, dark wood (usually ebony or walnut) by carving out their beds. The aim is a pattern that gleams with light against a dark ground.
What is nacre? The bright, iridescent layer on the inner surface of oyster and mussel shells. It is sliced thin and cut to the motif.
How is it made? The bed of the motif is carved into the wood surface; the nacre piece is set into this bed with millimetric fit and glued; the surface is sanded and polished.
Where is it seen? Qur'an lecterns, chests, doors and minbars; classical Ottoman and Damascene furniture.
Why is it prized? Each piece is cut and set by hand; a large panel may contain thousands of nacre pieces.
Arakiye's 'Vav' panel is an example of mother-of-pearl inlay on ebony.
Works inspired by Iznik tiles
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