Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art (158)

Rare 19th Century Korean Antique Men's Mirror Box of High Quality Persimmon and Zelkova Wood. 10 x 8 x 6 inches, 25 x 20 x 15 cm.

Rare Red Lacquered Inkstone Box of Drawers adorned with ancient symbolism: bullocho (mythical longevity plant) lock plates, bat (symbol of happiness) drawer pulls, and swallowtail (symbol of beauty) braces. The inkstone box was a Korean scholar's most treasured item. He handled it every day, when he would take out the contents to write and paint. The lid opens to reveal the compartment for the inkstone. The drawers hold the brush, ink, and paper. Together these, with the inkstone, are the "scholar's four friends." An inkstone box in royal red lacquer is exceedingly scarce. 11.5 D x 9.75 H x 8.25 W.

Exceedingly Scarce Set of Three Iron Age Korean Pots with Exquisite Color and Beautiful Form. 4th to 1st Century BC. You are unlikely to ever see another Iron Age Korean pot offered for sale, much less a set of three. The remaining examples are all in museums or tightly held private collections. These prehistoric pieces are finely potted and made from soft and sandy red clay. They are aesthetically striking in both color and form and are historically significant. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the scholar/collector/aesthete. Right Pot Dimensions: 16.25 inches (41cm) circumference, 3.25 inches (8.5cm) height. Middle Pot Dimensions: 18.25 inches (46.5cm) circumference, 4 inches (10cm) height. Left Pot Dimensions: 12.5 inches (32cm) circumference, 2.75 inches (7cm) height.

Extremely Rare Set of Three Mumun Pots from the 3rd Century BCE from the Koejongdong site in Daejon near the Geum River. A similar example from the National Museum of Korea can be seen in Plate 34 in The Prehistory of Korea by Kim Jeong-hak. Prehistoric Korean pottery is so scarce outside of museums, that this is the only time we have ever acquired any. According to Professor Choi Jong-taek of Korea University, these everted lipped pots with their distinctive color and texture date from the period in Korea when the Bronze Age was giving way to the Iron Age, and the Mumun pottery period was ending with these types of pots with a greater hardness and fired at a higher temperature than previous Mumun pots, that is, about 300 BCE. This was a brief but very important transitional period into higher technology and culture in Korea, from the the end of the Mumun Pottery Period to the beginning of the Iron Age, so pieces from this defining period are rare. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a collector. Dimensions from tallest to shortest are: #1 - 4 inches height x 11.5 inches circumference (10 cm height x 29 cm circumference); #2 - 3.5 inches height x 14 inches circumference (9 cm height x 35.5 cm circumference); #3 - 3 inches height x 12.5 inches circumference (7.5 cm height x 32 cm circumference).

Red Lacquered Safe with Beautiful Metalwork with auspicious symbols: a tortoise lock (symbol of longevity),peach drawer pulls (a symbol of longevity), the diamond-shaped Seven Treasures symbol, floral scrolls throughout, and the wan (the wheel of life and symbol of universal peace and harmony) 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. 14.5d x 10w x 11h inches, 37d x 15.5w x 28h cm.

Beautiful and Rare 19th Century Korean Elm Wood Document Box from Gyeongsangnam-do, with a patina and grain of gorgeous color and texture and lovely floral metalwork with plum blossoms (a symbol of courage because the plum blossoms early, before winter is quite finished) and chrysanthemum (a symbol of plenty or fertility because of its many petals). For a similar example, see page 69 of Traditional Korean Furniture by Man Sill Pai and Edward Reynolds Wright. 13 x 13 x 7.5 inches, 33 x 33 x 19 cm.

South China/North Vietnam Yao Shaman Ka Dong Deity Ritual Mask. This fine old mask would have been used in the same family for several generations to perform rituals such as those for a newborn baby and maturation. The wood for this important mask would have been taken from dep in the forest where spirits were believed to live. 14.5 inches, 37 cm.

Nepalese Mask of a Humla Aesthete with a Thorja Topknot. 11 inches, 28 cm. 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.

Rare and Sublime Nias Island Torque Necklace in a Classic Form made of graduated slices of Coconut Shell. Purchased by a renowned and published collector at Bonham's on May 15, 2008 (Lot 507, page 14 of the catalogue). More provenance information available upon request. 9.25 inches (23.5 cm)

12th Century Conical Pure Celadon Bowl with perfect color and rare, sublime form. 6w x 2h inches, 15w x 5h cm.

Sri Lankan Monkey Mask used in the Kolam Natima Fetus Protection Ritual Drama that was performed when a tribe member was pregnant. The tribe's Edura (Shaman) wears the mask in the Kolam Natima masked dance-drama, and portrays a monkey who dances and cavorts to placate the demons that threaten the health of the unborn child. This particular mask is wonderfully rendered, with his ear-to-ear grin and bulging eyes, and the beautiful original pigments are still intact. From the collection of Sam Hilu, prominent collector and author on Asian and African art. 17.5 x 11 x 9 inches, 44.5 x 28 x 23 cm.

Rare Pair of Large Painted Korean Funeral Bier Panels imbued with syncretic symbolism, with painted lotuses that are profound symbols in Buddhism of rebirth and purity, and attached painted Taoist pullocho, the mythical longevity plant, projecting in in a row from the front, all used in the service of a Shamanist funeral ritual. A fine, rare and striking example of old Korean folk art, and a great example of the traditional Korean open-mindedness and blending of religious faiths. 86 inches (118.5cm) long x 8 inches (20.5cm) tall.

19th Century Korean Hat Box made entirely of Exotic Paulownia (Odong-namu) Wood, from the collection of a French diplomat stationed in Korea in the 1950s. 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. 9.5 x 9.5 x 8.5 (height) inches, 24 x 24 x 21.5 cm.

Fine Nepalese Mask of a Rare Type with Pigments. 10.5 inches, 26.75 cm. 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.

Fine 19th Century Korean Royal Court Painting of Children at Play. This genre of Korean paintings always displays children playing in imaginary Chinese court costumes, and is called Baekdongja-do in Korean. From the ground-breaking Auspicious Spirits, Korean Folk Paintings exhibition catalogue: "Depicting the children as court nobility expressed an auspicious desire that one's own children achieve success in life." This exceptional example was displayed in the room of a wife in the Korean royal court to inspire her to become pregnant and to have healthy, playful, and successful children. It was also displayed on the first birthday of each child. Ink and colors on silk. 40 x 14.5 inches, 101.5 x 37 cm.

This is a truly one-of-a-kind masterpiece of exquisite beauty that rewards long and repeated viewing. We have never seen a silver Joseon Dynasty lady's dagger (eunjangdo) with engraving entirely in a floral motif like this. The details are stunningly rendered along every millimeter of this fine work of art. The beauty goes beyond the luxurious surface with a deeply thoughtful design that incorporates symbolism with an ancient history. It is engraved with akebia mountain root (symbol of good health), lotus blossom (symbol of rebirth, because the lotus rises above the muck of the pond to show its face to the Sun), azalea (symbol of beauty and the "city flower" chosen by many of Korea's cities), peony (symbol of abundance because of its copious petals), banana leaf (the huge leaves are considered auspicious), plum blossoms (symbol of courage because they bloom before winter is not quite finished), and Korea's mugunghhwa national flower, the rose of sharon. 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 dragonfly here is a symbol of purity. The small band in the middle has a key fret thunder pattern. Eunjangdo were worn by women of rank as a chest pendant and a symbol of their 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'. The silver chopsticks were used to determine the safety of food, as they would turn color if poison was present. 6 inches, 15 cm.

Very Rare 13th Century Celadon Bowl with Elaborate Gold Painting. Gold-painted celadons were produced during a short period of time in the late 13th Century in Korea, so they are very rare. Black and white slip inlay is used for the design of the Willow Trees (ancient symbol of peace and contentment), Duck Family (symbol of blissful family life), Pampas Grass (symbol of autumn), Bullocho (mythical longevity plant), Lotus Blossoms (symbol of purity and rebirth), Chrysanthemums (symbol of well-being and abundance), and Orchids (symbol of modesty). Real gold paint is used throughout, for the bullocho, the pampas flowers, the irises, the ducks, the three rings that circle the interior of the bowl at the top to create a band for the inlaid floral scroll, and the two rings at the bottom of the bowl interior that create a solar center for the gold chrysanthemum. The exterior of the bowl is as elaborately inlaid as the interior, with gorgeous floral scrolls and sprays throughout, and a ring of stylized lotus blossoms at the bottom. Old gold lacquer repair like you see here is considered desirable by serious collectors and adds value along with character and history to a very rare, true masterpiece of celadon. As a philosophy, "golden repair" treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise. Pieces were even sometimes deliberately broken in order to apply this aesthetic to them. 7.5w x 2.75h inches, 19w x 7h cm.

Nepalese Terai Region Maiden Mask, 10.25 inches, 26 cm. 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.