Rare Jin-Ju Bandaji Chest from Jin-Ju in Kyongsang
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Antiques:
Regional Art:
Asian:
Korean:
Furniture:
Pre 1900 item# 888595 (stock# 0373)
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Korean Art and Antiques
917-675-1369
$10,000
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A very rare bandaji (front opening chest) from Jin-Ju in the Kyongsang Province. Jin-Ju Bandaji are among the most desirable items for Korean Antique collectors, for the quality of the workmanship and the artistry of the design. It is unlikely that you will see another offered for sale. This one was purchased from Christie's in the 1990's. The description from the Christie's catalog may be seen in the second photo here. This magnificent and very rare chest is in the same good condition that it was in when it was purchased from Christie's. The iron bosses are inlaid in silver with stylized insects. 39.5w x 29.5h x 19.75d inches, 100 x 75 x 50 cm.
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Extremely Rare 18th Century Korean Chest from Taegu
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Furniture:
Pre 1800 item# 872022 (stock# 0358)
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Korean Art and Antiques
917-675-1369
$5000
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18th Century Korean Furniture is so rare that we have only had one other example for sale. This 18th Century Bandaji from Taegu is truly a museum piece, as the few extant 18th Century pieces of Korean furniture are almost all in museums or private collections, and more specifically, we know of only one other 18th Century Taegu Bandaji that exists anywhere (The Weisman Art Museum's Edward R. Wright Collection; the late Edward R. Wright was the co-author, along with my old friend Pai Man Sill, of the book considered to be the bible on Korean antique furniture, Traditional Korean Furniture). This bandaji is an important piece of history and a fine example of the early and simple style. With its understated ironwork and slender door, the proportions are rare and elegant. Truly a once-in-a-lifetime offer. 36.75w x 20.75h x 15.75d inches, 93.5w x 53h x 40d cm.
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Antique Mother of Pearl & Black Lacquer Two-Piece Chest
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Furniture:
Pre 1910 item# 938012 (stock# 0428)
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Korean Art and Antiques
917-675-1369
$3600
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Rare and Stunning Antique Mother of Pearl and Black Lacquer Two-Piece Chest. These don't come up often. In fact, it is the first one we have ever had. The factory-made reproductions that you often see cannot come anywhere near the beauty of the artistry and design of an original hand-inlaid piece like this. Take a look at the unique and lovely scenes that adorn six sides. Even the top of the bottom piece has its own unique scene. The beautiful pattern on the front is a turtle shell motif, a symbol of a long and blessed life. The crazy thing is that it would cost much more than our asking price to have a hand-inlaid mother of pearl and black lacquer two-piece chest made by an artisan today. So this price is quite a steal for such a rare and wonderful piece. As you can see in the third photo here, the two pieces separate and may be displayed separately or stacked. 44.5h x 32.75w x 15.5d inches, 113h x 83w x 39.5d cm.
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Rare Kaesong, North Korea Chest w/Spectacular Metalwork
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Furniture:
Pre 1900 item# 955644 (stock# 0434)
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Korean Art and Antiques
917-675-1369
$1500
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This chest has the finest metalwork of any chest we have ever had. Kaesong, North Korea bandaji (front-opening chest) are rare and desirable for collectors, because they are not as common as Pyongyang, North Korea bandaji, and are renowned for their fine, detailed metalwork. This chest is a great example of Kaesong metalwork, spectacular and beautifully rendered with auspicious symbols of pine trees, roosters, bats, peonies, lotus flowers, bamboos, pullochos, sparrows, mountains, and the Chinese symbols for longevity, good fortune, good health, and home. A rare and beautiful find for the fan of Korean metalwork and antique Korean furniture. 40.25h x 35.25w x 18.25d.
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Fine and Old Korean Coin Chest (Tonkwe), Nice Ironwork
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Furniture:
Pre 1900 item# 805655 (stock# 0236)
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Korean Art and Antiques
917-675-1369
$1500
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This piece is currently on view at an exhibition at the Korea Society. Genuine 19th Century Ton-kwe (Korean Coin Chests) are becoming increasingly rare on the antiques market. They are highly prized by collectors, as their purpose required that they be the heaviest and most well constructed piece of furniture in the home. Paper money did not exist in Yi Dynasty Korea, and the coins were of very small denominations. They had to be strung together in large, heavy quantities to have any worth, so a strong money box was a necessity. Here's a funny quote from 1898 on Korean money by Mattie Ingold, an American missionary physician who worked in Chonju: "If Korean money were proportionately as great in value as it is in weight and clumsiness, the Koreans would be a very wealthy people." This coin chest of Korean pine is a fine and old example. The iron lockplate is itself a work of art. It is in the shape of an inventively rendered swallowtail, and is adorned with wan symbols (Buddhist swastikas), a symbol that actually predates Buddhism and originally represented the revolving sun or life. In Buddhism it represents represents the Heart of the Buddha, resignation of spirit, and all happiness that humanity desires. The swallowtail shape is echoed in the iron hinges. The swallow is a symbol of beauty and prosperity in Korea. 36w x 21h x 17.5d inches, 91.5 x 53.5 x 44.5 cm.
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Extraordinary, Rich Grain on this Rare Korean Chest
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Furniture:
Pre 1920 item# 648424 (stock# 0103)
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Korean Art and Antiques
917-675-1369
$1500
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This Korean Clothing Chest is constructed of large single-plank panels of a very fine Korean Pine with a curly grain and rich, golden hue. A Korean artisan would choose a very large and old tree that grew on a hillside so that it would have this winding grain and would be large enough to provide these large planks, constructing the entire chest from this single tree, giving it a consistently spectacular grain and making this a one-of-a-kind work of art in wood. It really is an extraordinary piece for the purist lover of wood with the highest standards. The remarkable wood required that the wise artisan use minimal, tasteful metalwork. That expectation is artfully met with beautiful iron openwork. The lock plate is a gorgeously stylized pullocho plant (an ancient Korean symbol of longevity) that manages to creatively include, in its center, the Buddhist swastika, symbol of universal peace and harmony. The pullocho theme is quietly echoed on the back hinges, while beautiful little chrysanthemums, the ancient symbol for a fruitful life, lovingly adorn the front and back handle plates. This piece brings more love and warmth to a room than one could ever expect from a piece of furniture. 37" (94cm) wide x 19.75" (50cm) deep x 22" (56cm) tall.
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Light Zelkova Wood Korean Chest from Kangwon
Catalogue:
Antiques:
Regional Art:
Asian:
Korean:
Furniture:
Pre 1900 item# 648415 (stock# 0102)
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Korean Art and Antiques
917-675-1369
$1500
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This Bandaji (Korean Front Opening Chest), constructed entirely of beautiful zelkova wood, has some of the most spectacular ironwork we have ever seen. There are a great variety of finely rendered auspicious motifs, including: hinges that are gorgeous stylizations of pullocho (the magical longevity plant); a gourd shaped center hinge (symbolizing good health); lotus (symbol of birth and creation); chrysanthemums (for a productive, fruitful life); swallowtails (beauty and prosperity); bats (an ancient symbol of good luck); and clouds (In the past, people believed that when they accumulated enough good deeds in this world, they rode clouds to the sky and became a human Buddha in the next world. Shapes of clouds can also be found on the murals in ancient tombs). 36.25" (92cm) wide x 15.75" (40cm) deep x 33" (84cm) tall. This Light Zelkova Chest from Kangwon makes a perfect pair with our Dark Zelkova Chest from Kangwon on this site (Stock#0348), as pictured in the last photo here (#6).
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