Catalog (335)

Early 20th Century Large Black-Lacquered Mother-of-Pearl Box, in fair condition with much loss of the mother-of-pearl. The brass hardware is old but is not original. 31.5 x 18.5 x 16.5 inches, 80 x 47 x 42 cm.

15th Century Gilded Tibetan Manuscript Cover. 28 x 11 inches.

This spectacular and truly one-of-a kind telephone was not only crafted by what was Korea's premier lacquer and mother-of-pearl company in the mid 20th Century (Kimpo Chilgi Gongyaesa), this is the one-off deluxe telephone that they made for themselves to use in their own office, so they put everything into this phone, and there really is no other like it. The label, like the rest of the telephone , is in remarkable condition, so you can still read the company name and telephone number on the label. The phone actually works, and it spins on the stand like a lazy susan. This is a grand and beautiful piece of Korean history. 11.5w x 7.5h inches, 29w x 19 cm.

Calligraphy by the Joseon Dynasty's Last Prime Minister, Lee Wan Yong aka Ildang (1858 - 1926). He was prime minister of Korea in 1906 - 1910. Lee is Korea's most infamous traitor, the "Benedict Arnold of Korea", for signing the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty in 1910. Connoisseurs begrudgingly acknowledge his great talents as a calligrapher, but the disdain with which he is regarded keeps the demand, and thus the prices of his work very low. Mounted on sky blue silk. Scroll: 74.5 x 17.5 inches, 189 x 44.5 cm; Calligraphy: 51.5 x 12.75 inches, 131 x 32.5 cm.

Asmat Tribe War Shield and Spirit Protecting Shield, made on the Dutch (Indonesian) side of New Guinea (Irian Jaya) by the Asmat people. It shows carving done by stone or shell tools, rather than more recent metal-carved examples. 74 x 20 inches, 188 x 51 cm.

Mid-20th Century Melanesian New Hebrides Islands (Vanuatu) Shield, with woven rattan attachments. 67 x 10 inches, 170 x 25.5 cm.

Painting of Scholar Under Moonlit Plum Blossoms by Park No Soo aka Nam Jeong (1927-2013). Just the first page of a google search reveals both the renown that Park No Soo enjoyed internationally, and the adoration he received locally in Korea. His minimal style and palette is instantly recognizable, and this beautiful, contemplative painting is a fine example of his inimitable, expressive brushwork, from the silvery-blue sliver of a moon, to the unique rendering of orchids and rocks. The orchid is an ancient symbol of virtue, and the rocks symbolize eternity. The combination had great meaning to Korean scholars, as it symbolized eternal devotion to your principles. The plum blossoms are a symbol of courage, because they bloom early, before winter is finished. The Park No Soo Museum opened in 2013 in Seoul's Jongno District, Jongno's first public museum. Park No Soo was a student of Yi Sang Beom, who was a student of An Jung Sik, who was a student of Jang Seung Eop, the very best possible lineage of Korean art royalty. Watercolors on paper. Frame: 23 x 18.5 inches, 58.5 x 47 cm; Painting: 13.5 x 9 inches, 34.25 x 23 cm.

Very Rare Calligraphy by Kang Se Hwang aka Pyo Am (1713-1791), artist, calligrapher, art scholar and critic, and one of the most important figures and the most influential scholar-painter of 18th Century Korea. Calligraphy by Kang Se Hwang is so rare that the only other example that we know of in America is a very similar work in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, illustrated on pages 172-173 of the recently published, Pathways to Korean Culture: Paintings of the Joseon Dynasty by Burglind Jungmann. The left and right margins bear the signed and sealed authentication of the most renowned expert on Korean calligraphy, Kim Sun Won aka Mae San, celebrated calligrapher and host of the television show Jin Pum Myung Pum, the Korean equivalent of the Antiques Road Show. Mae San's authentications are highly valued and can be found on pieces in museum collections throughout Korea. 25 x 11 inches, 63.5 x 28 cm.

A fine example of a Joseon Dynasty Korean tiger hunting painting, that makes use of the best quality pigments and finest silk, and is rendered with the highest level of artistry and skill, likely by a painter from the royal court. A similar painting recently sold at auction in Korea for $5500. Unique to Korea, almost all Korean hunting paintings depict hunters in Mongolian costume. In spite of the Mongols' brutal occupation of Korea in the 13th Century, Koreans maintained great admiration for Mongolian hunting and equestrian skills. This painting is one of a pair. The other painting is on this website (Stock #1186). Scroll: 50 x 17 inches (127 x 43 cm); Painting: 27 x 13 inches (68.5 x 33 cm).

Slip-Cast Sculpture by Kang Suk Young, Professor, Department of Ceramic Art, College of Art and Design, Ewha Womans University. Kang says, "I gain satisfaction and pleasure from the infinite colors created by the genuineness of white." Kang Suk Young is regarded as the pioneer of the slip-casting movement in Korean contemporary ceramics, and he continues to be in the forefront of introducing new ideas and creative expressions in contemporary Korean Ceramics. His work is in the permanent collection of the Brooklyn Museum, and is on display in their Korean gallery. 19.5h x 15w inches, 50 x 38 cm.

Beautiful and Rare Korean Joseon Dynasty Silver and Coral Eunjangdo with Very Fine Floral Design. The eunjangdo was worn by a woman of rank as a chest pendant and a symbol of her social standing. This dagger also served as a tool to save women from personal humiliation or peril, not by attacking an assailant but by killing themselves, under the Confucian moral obligation of medieval Korea 'to remain faithful to one spouse'. 4 inches, 10 cm.