Catalog (26)

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.

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.

Fine, Rare Joseon Dynasty Silver Inlaid Box with ancient Longevity Symbols of Deer, Cranes, key fret pattern, floral and tortoise shell pattern. Double Happiness symbol on the lid. Beautiful Condition. 5.25 x 3.5 x 3.5 inches, 13.5 x 9 x9 cm.

Very Fine and Rare Goryeo Dynasty Inlaid Celadon Cosmetic Box, 12th to 13th Century. The last photo here is a similar example that was in Christie's September 22, 2005 Sale of Japanese and Korean Art. We are sure you will agree that the Christie's example is not as refined, detailed, and beautifully designed as the piece that we offer here, with its inlaid lotus, geese, willow tree, and reeds. The condition is also excellent. On the side, you can see two small spaces where the potter's fingers covered the glaze. This is original to the piece so it is not a condition issue. It is in pretty much its original condition. The Christie's example was estimated at $10,000 to $15,000, 10 years ago. Dimensions: 4.75 inches wide, 3 inches high (50% larger than the Christie's example, which was 3.25 inches wide). 12 cm wide and 7.5 cm high.

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.

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.

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.