A FINE ZELKOVA WOOD SCHOLAR’S STATIONERY CHEST, MUNGAP, JOSEON DYNASTY

拍品描述

A FINE ZELKOVA WOOD SCHOLAR’S STATIONERY CHEST, MUNGAP, JOSEON DYNASTY Expert’s note The present lot is distinguished by its numerous drawers and open compartments. The paired recesses provided immediate access to frequently used writing implements, while the smaller drawers allowed brushes, seals, pigments, correspondence, and personal effects to be carefully separated. Korea, 19th century. Of rectangular form with rounded edges, supported on short bracket feet terminating in carved scrolls, the front is fitted with fifteen drawers, two large stepped open compartments, and a central cupboard enclosed by paired hinged doors. The zelkova wood displays a dramatic swirling grain, particularly across the matched cupboard doors. The chest is fitted throughout with metal loop handles and ring pulls, the central doors reinforced with foliate hinges and corner mounts and secured by a large circular lockplate. Dimensions: Size 28 x 55 x 104.5 cm Joseon dynasty furniture is admired as some of the most representative and decorative artworks of Korea. Known for their elegant design, skilled workmanship and superb use of wood and metal, such furniture represents ancient Korean spirituality and the legacy of Korean families from the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Book and stationery chests (mungap) were used to store documents, paper, writing implements and other items. This unadorned example, featuring persimmon wood, paneled sliding doors and small balsam-blossom handles, would have furnished a man’s room (sarangbang) used for studying, the writing of poetry and conversation. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related Zelkova wood mungap in the National Folk Museum of Korea.

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