Catalog (335)

Rare 19th Century Red Lacquered Korean Wedding Box. Red lacquered boxes were reserved by law for members of the royal court. 16 x 13 x 11 inches, 41 x 33 x 28 cm.

Rare 19th Century Korean Children's Headside Chest (Meorijang). This was placed at the head of the child's sleeping place. 32 x 20 x 20 inches, 81 x 51 x 51 cm.

Burmese Bronze Sakyamuni Buddha, the Historical Buddha, making the earth-touching gesture with his right hand, and the meditating gesture with his left hand. From the Northern Shan state of Burma. Traces of gilding. 8.75 inches (22 cm) high.

Chinese Junyao bowl from the Yuan Dynasty. From the collection of Irwin Hersey, renowned author on Asian and primitive art, and publisher of the Primitive Art Newsletter in the 1970s. Irwin Hersey was an advisor to museums and prominent collectors, and vetted pieces for many of the international tribal art fairs and Asian art fairs. He purchased this bowl from PB Auction in 1975. 4.5w x 1.75h inches, 11.5w x 4.5 cm.

Dragon Skies set of 10 paintings created in 2004 by Renowned Korean Artist Don Ahn aka Ahn Dong Kuk (1937-2013). We encourage you to research Don Ahn's sales record and market prices on sites such as Artsy, so you can appreciate what a great opportunity this is to purchase an original work of art by the master at a price well below the actual value. The second photo here pairs the 10 paintings with the 10 Bodhisattvas by Choi Dae Shik that are on this website for $2500. Both sets may be purchased at the discounted price of $3000. Don Ahn was a pioneer of Korean art in America. In the 1950s he was the first to move permanently to the US and receive recognition here, beginning with the 1952 exhibition of his work at the Kilbride Bradley Gallery in Minneapolis, the very first exhibition of Korean contemporary art in America. His work is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and other major museums. There was recently an exhibition of Don Ahn's work at the Walter Wickiser Gallery in New York's Chelsea art district. Acrylic on paper. Frames: from 14.25 x 11.25 to 8.5 x 8.25 inches (36 x 28.5 to 21.5 x 21 cm); Paintings: from 7 x 3 to 3 x 3 inches (18 x 7.5 to 7.5 x 7.5 cm). See also preeminent art critic Holland Cotter's review of Don Ahn's work in the April 4, 1997 New York Times article, Of Asians Among the Abstractionists, where he describes Don's paintings as "Exuberant" and "Inspired by Zen brushwork".

Antique Korean Coin Chest, Donkwe. 11h x 24w x 12.5d, 28h x 61w x 32d m. Coin chests are highly prized by collectors of Korean antiques. Paper money did not exist in Joseon 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. Mattie Ingold, an American missionary physician who worked in Jeonju, wrote: "If Korean money were proportionately as great in value as it is in weight and clumsiness, the Koreans would be a very wealthy people."

Framed Zen Crane Under the Moon Painting by the Famous Korean Jeju Island Monk, Ko Chang Nyul aka Jung Kwang Sunim aka the Mad Monk (1935-2002). The third photo here is from a prominent dealer's "sale" going on right now on Jung Kwang paintings, where you will see the prices are several times higher than mine. This other gallery has been in business for over forty years and has sold to many of the major museums. A google search of Jung Kwang Mad Monk will reveal the fascinating life of this character, and you'll find this movie about him (http://www.piff.org/eng/html/archive/arc_search_view.asp?idx=1314&target=search&c_idx=18&m_entry_year=2002) and this exhibition at the Seoul Art Center (http://nwww.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20110807000244) and this book (http://www.amazon.com/The-Mad-Monk-Paintings-Lancaster-Miller/dp/0895810174) and more. He and his work have been featured on CNN, PBS, NHK, and other major broadcasters. He was a famous monk, artist, poet, and actor. His unique paintings are instantly recognizable by their zen approach to form and color. Please look closely at this painting to get a sense of the spiritual quality of the artist's brushwork. The crane is an ancient symbol of longevity. It has further symbolic meaning in Buddhism. The bodhisattvas change themselves into cranes so that they can fly all over the world visiting and helping people. The moon is also an ancient symbol of longevity in Korea. Ink and color on paper. The buyer of this fine painting will receive a PDF file compilation of Jung Kwang Sunim's poems, and a bio. You'll laugh and cry when you read "Zen Poems 1". The recent exhibition of Jung Kwang Sunim's work at the Zen Buddhist Temple in New York City was the most highly-attended exhibition ever presented by the Korean Art Society. At that exhibition, Jung Kwang Sunim's works of similar size and quality sold for multiples of the prices we are asking here. The fourth photo here shows a wall label from that exhibition with a price of $2500 for a painting of similar style and slightly smaller size by Jung Kwang Sunim. Frame: 24 x 20 inches (61 x 51 cm), Painting: 18 x 13.5 inches (46 x 34 cm).

Orchids and Rocks Painting by Kim Eung Won aka Soho (1855-1921). Orchids are an ancient Korean symbol of purity, modesty, and virtue. The rock symbolizes eternity, so the combination of orchids and rock have the meaning of eternal adherence to principle. The orchid grows in remote places, but its fragrance spreads over the land, just as the scholar often works in isolation, but through their scholarly and ethical works their influence is felt throughout the land. Talented painters of orchids were and still are held in the highest regard. Though Daewongun (Prince Yi Ha Eung) is often cited as the greatest painter of orchids, most scholars now agree it was Kim Eung Won who was creating many of the paintings for which Prince Daewongun took credit and which Daewongun signed. Daewongun was, of course, a great painter of orchids, but most agree now that Kim Eung Won may deserve the title of greatest. His paintings sell for a fraction of the price of Daewongun's paintings, at least for now. That can be expected to change as the general public catches up with the scholarship on the subject. The second photo here is from a sale at another gallery where the prices on much smaller and simpler paintings by Kim Eung Won are double the price we are asking here for this larger and finer painting. Ink on paper. 54 x 14 inches, 137.5 x 35.5 cm unmounted. (A much smaller Daewongun painting sold at Christie's for $12,500 on March 18, 2014).

Passion of Korea 3. Silk Bojagi Korean Textile Art by renowned textile artist Hae Hong Chang. Chang's acclaimed bojagi have been exhibited in museums and galleries around the world. The Korean Art and Antiques website is the only online venue for her fine work. Hae Hong Chang is a Korea Bojagi Forum Recommended Artist. 17.5 x 16 inches, 44 x 40 cm.

Passion of Korea 2. Bojagi Korean Textile Art by renowned textile artist Hae Hong Chang. Chang's acclaimed bojagi have been exhibited in museums and galleries around the world. The Korean Art and Antiques website is the only online venue for her fine work. Hae Hong Chang is a Korea Bojagi Forum Recommended Artist. 17.5 x 16 inches, 44 x 40 cm.

Korean Contemporary Buncheong Ceramic Art by Kim See Man. Buncheong is a unique and centuries-old style of ceramics characterized by a white slip surface that is usually decorated in a spontaneous and expressive manner. This has been imitated in Japan's mishima ware. Kim See Man's work has been exhibited at a long list of major museums, including the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, Yale University Art Gallery, Freer/Sackler Gallery of Art, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Harvard University Art Museum, Detroit Institute of Arts, Saint Louis Museum of Art, Newark Museum, American Craft Museum, Portland Art Museum, Society for Contemporary Crafts, Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Vancouver Art Museum, Royal Ontario Museum, and many others. Artist signed wood box is included. 10.75 x 8 x 7.5 inches, 27 x 20 x 19 cm.

Passion of Korea 6. Silk Bojagi Korean Textile Art by renowned textile artist Hae Hong Chang. Chang's acclaimed bojagi have been exhibited in museums and galleries around the world. The Korean Art and Antiques website is the only online venue for her fine work. Hae Hong Chang is a Korea Bojagi Forum Recommended Artist. 22 x 20 inches, 55 x 50 cm.

Passion of Korea 5. Silk Bojagi Korean Textile Art by renowned textile artist Hae Hong Chang. Chang's acclaimed bojagi have been exhibited in museums and galleries around the world. The Korean Art and Antiques website is the only online venue for her fine work. Hae Hong Chang is a Korea Bojagi Forum Recommended Artist. 24 x 22 inches, 60 x 55 cm.

Passion of Korea 4. Silk Bojagi Korean Textile Art by renowned textile artist Hae Hong Chang. Chang's acclaimed bojagi have been exhibited in museums and galleries around the world. The Korean Art and Antiques website is the only online venue for her fine work. Hae Hong Chang is a Korea Bojagi Forum Recommended Artist. 22 x 20 inches, 55 x 50 cm.

Rare and Beautifully Embroidered Joseon Dynasty Korean Scholar's Rank Badge (Fusu) adorned with metallic thread throughout giving it a luxurious sheen. After 19 years in business, we have finally acquired a rare Korean rank badge (fusu) for the first time. This one belonged to a scholar aristocrat, as indicated by the cranes. It is rendered in a unique and lovely golden palette and is wonderfully designed with clouds (symbol of longevity), peonies (symbol of wealth or abundance), and rows of wan symbols (the wheel of life and symbol of universal peace and harmony). The wan is a symbol so ancient it actually predates Buddhism and originally represented the revolving sun. In Buddhism it represents the Heart of the Buddha, happiness, and resignation of spirit. 17.5 x 10.5 inches, 44.5 x 27 cm.

This exemplary work of 19th Century Korean folk art is sculpted in and painted on wood and metal and features the two most revered mythical creatures in Korea: The Yellow Dragon and The Blue Dragon. This creative composition has a patron couple who seem to have the dragons' tails coming out of them. The Dragon brings rain, blessings, and life. The Yellow Dragon writhes dynamically and shows its face at the top of this piece, while The Blue Dragon offers a foundation to the composition and makes its presence known with a single all-seeing eye protruding through the bottom. In ancient Korean cosmology, The Yellow Dragon rules from the center of the sky. Korean emperors chose from ancient times the symbol of The Yellow Dragon to represent the royal family. The Blue Dragon is the color of the sky and the sea and symbolizes the power of both. Farmers prayed to the Dragon for rain and fishermen prayed to him for a good catch, while fishermen's wives asked the Dragon to bring their husbands home safely. The Yellow Dragon and The Blue Dragon have been paired for millennia, with a wonderful example on the 7th century tomb of King Muyeol (reign 654-661). This tradition was continued by the 19th century owner of this sublime example with a string in the back for hanging and displaying in order to repel evil spirits while bringing blessings to the home. 20.25 x 14.25 inches, 51.5 x 36 cm.

Korean Contemporary Buncheong Ceramic Art by Kim See Man. Buncheong is a unique and centuries-old style of ceramics characterized by a white slip surface that is usually decorated in a spontaneous and expressive manner. This has been imitated in Japan's mishima ware. Kim See Man's work has been exhibited at a long list of major museums, including the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, Yale University Art Gallery, Freer/Sackler Gallery of Art, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Harvard University Art Museum, Detroit Institute of Arts, Saint Louis Museum of Art, Newark Museum, American Craft Museum, Portland Art Museum, Society for Contemporary Crafts, Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Vancouver Art Museum, Royal Ontario Museum, and many others. Artist signed wood box is included. 11.5 x 10 x 10 inches, 29 x 29 x 25 cm.

This is an important painting in Korean art history. It was featured as the very first illustration, Plate Number 1, in the catalogue of the historic Korean Cultural Service exhibition, Coloring Time, the first exhibition ever to cover the history of Korean art in America. This is Dragon in the Fog, painted in 1997 by Renowned Korean Artist Don Ahn aka Ahn Dong Kuk (1937 - 2013). Don Ahn was a pioneer of Korean art in America. In the 1950s he was the first to move permanently to the US and receive recognition here, beginning with the 1952 exhibition of his work at the Kilbride Bradley Gallery in Minneapolis, the very first exhibition of Korean contemporary art in America. His work is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and other major museums. There was recently an exhibition of Don Ahn's work at the Walter Wickiser Gallery in New York's Chelsea art district. Acrylic on paper. 28.5 x 21 inches, 72.25 x 53.25 cm. See also preeminent art critic Holland Cotter's review of Don Ahn's work in the April 4, 1997 New York Times article, Of Asians Among the Abstractionists, where he describes Don's paintings as "Exuberant" and "Inspired by Zen brushwork".