Tam Sơn began with the sloping silhouette of the nón lá, Vietnam’s traditional conical hat. For our Ngự Uyển collection, we echoed that familiar outline in three peaks rising from a low base of honed green onyx. When the drawers are closed, flowering stems climb across their fronts as one continuous garden. Opening a drawer brings a cluster of blossoms forward and reveals the layers within the cabinet.
We work with solid sepetir, known in Vietnam as gụ mật, and let the wood air-dry naturally for two to three years before production. Drawing inspiration from the furniture of Huế’s former imperial court, we paint the wood black and give its surface a deliberately raw, understated finish. Against that deep black, the natural pinks and reds of the mother-of-pearl become more vivid as the light shifts.
Our artisans cut each petal and leaf by hand, then carve a matching recess into the drawer front to receive it. The petals rise in relief, each catching the light at a slightly different angle. We wanted Tam Sơn to reward a closer look: from across the room, the three peaks give the cabinet its silhouette; up close, a single blossom reveals the work of many individual cuts.
COLLECTION
Ngự Uyển
DIMENSIONS
40.5″ W × 15.75″ D × 52″ H
Overall dimensions, including the onyx base.
MATERIALS
Black-painted solid sepetir wood, three-dimensional mother-of-pearl inlay on the drawer fronts, honed green onyx.
PRODUCTION
Made to order.
PRODUCTION LEAD TIME
18-20 weeks
Each piece is individually handcrafted. Natural variations in the wood, shell, and stone give every cabinet its own character.
Tam Sơn began with the sloping silhouette of the nón lá, Vietnam’s traditional conical hat. For our Ngự Uyển collection, we echoed that familiar outline in three peaks rising from a low base of honed green onyx. When the drawers are closed, flowering stems climb across their fronts as one continuous garden. Opening a drawer brings a cluster of blossoms forward and reveals the layers within the cabinet.
We work with solid sepetir, known in Vietnam as gụ mật, and let the wood air-dry naturally for two to three years before production. Drawing inspiration from the furniture of Huế’s former imperial court, we paint the wood black and give its surface a deliberately raw, understated finish. Against that deep black, the natural pinks and reds of the mother-of-pearl become more vivid as the light shifts.
Our artisans cut each petal and leaf by hand, then carve a matching recess into the drawer front to receive it. The petals rise in relief, each catching the light at a slightly different angle. We wanted Tam Sơn to reward a closer look: from across the room, the three peaks give the cabinet its silhouette; up close, a single blossom reveals the work of many individual cuts.
COLLECTION
Ngự Uyển
DIMENSIONS
40.5″ W × 15.75″ D × 52″ H
Overall dimensions, including the onyx base.
MATERIALS
Black-painted solid sepetir wood, three-dimensional mother-of-pearl inlay on the drawer fronts, honed green onyx.
PRODUCTION
Made to order.
PRODUCTION LEAD TIME
18-20 weeks
Each piece is individually handcrafted. Natural variations in the wood, shell, and stone give every cabinet its own character.
