Catalog (26)

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.

19th Century Korean Hat Box made entirely of Exotic Paulownia (Odong-namu) Wood. Paulownia is very desirable for collectors because of its beautiful wide grain, light weight, and fire and bug-resistant qualities. The paulownia used for this rare hat box is especially fine. (hat not included) 12 x 12 x 12 (height) inches, 31 x 31 x 31 cm.

The inkstone box was a Korean scholar's most treasured item. He spent more waking hours with this item than with any other. This inkstone box is a rare incised example with lovely clouds and cranes who bring blessings, good news, and happiness. It was ranked the most senior bird by Confucian scholars and thought a noble role model. The crane is also a longevity symbol and when they are paired like this, it is a symbol of eternal love and happy marriage. The four items kept in this box-- inkstone, brush, ink, and paper--were called the scholar's four friends. 16.5 x 11.5 x 10.25 inches, 42 x 29 x 26 cm.

Rare Pair of Boxes for Storing a Scholar's Name Seals, with Lovely Wood Grain and Metalwork. A scholar's name seals were among his most personal and treasured items. 6h x 5w x 5d inches, 15h x 12.5w x 12.5d cm.

19th Century Korean Black Lacquered Mirror Box with Mother-of-Pearl Inlay of a pair of cranes, representing longevity and marital bliss, and peaches of immortality and abundant and propitious floral and geometric patterns. As is usually the case, the mirror is replaced. 9 x 7.5 x 4.5 inches, 23 x 19 x 11.5 cm.

19th Century Sharkskin Head Band Case with Lacquered Dragon and Many Fine Details. A string would have been looped through either the lacquered dragon or the brass ring on the lid. Only a high-ranking person would have had a case that was made of sharkskin. This one is completely covered in sharkskin. The beautifully rendered brass hardware has grape motifs etched into them, a symbol of abundance, because of its many seeds. The chrysanthemum on the lid is also a symbol of plenty, because of its many petals. The other brass work on the lid is the two ancient Daoist trigrams, 'Thunder' and 'Fire'. Altogether a marvelous and rare work of artistry in excellent condition. 6.25 x 3.5 inches, 16 x 9 cm.

Antique Korean Black Inkstone Box and Antique Inkstone. The poem on the lid is a beautiful work of calligraphy. It can be read in two directions as "Celebrated mountain object" and "Celebrated mountain extraordinary wisdom", meaning that this object will be used in the pursuit of wisdom. The inkstone has a banana leaf motif, referencing the 8th Century Chinese scholar and celebrated calligrapher, Huaisu who wrote on banana leaves when he ran out of paper. A rare and most interesting find. 9.5w x 6d x 2.75h inches, 24w x 15d x 7h cm.

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.