Catalog (13)

Early 20th Century Lacquered Personal Dining Table from Haeju, Korea (Haeju Soban) with an elegant design of a key-fret apron and the ancient Korean legend of the carp swimming upstream and up the waterfall to successfully transform into a dragon and fly into the skies. Images of this story were displayed in children's rooms to encourage them to succeed in their studies and aspirations. 19.25w x 16h x 14d inches, 49 x 41 x 35.5 cm.

Rare 19th Century Palanquin. There has never been one offered for sale before and it is unlikely you will ever see another one again. The exquisite wood carving on all sides features ancient symbolism of prosperity and longevity. 34h x 28w x 81d inches with poles, 86h x 71 x 206 cm with poles.

Rare Large Joseon Dynasty 19th Century Korean Medicine Chest, Yakjang. Reproductions of Joseon Dynasty medicine chests are popular. Now you have a rare opportunity to acquire an authentic one that was used in a genuine historical and cultural context by a traditional Korean doctor in the 19th century. 42.75w x 38.75h x 15.5d inches, 108.5w x 98.5h x 39.5d cm.

Rare and Fine 19th Century Korean Chaekjang Book Chest. You may never see another like this for under $10,000! 33w x 26.5h x 12d inches, 84w x 67.5h x 30.5d cm.

Rare 19th Century Korean Kyeongsang Scholar's Study Desk with Persimmon Drawers. Simple and elegant in keeping with the scholar's aesthetic. The upturned ends keep scrolls and writing materials from rolling off the desk. 27 x 12 x 11 inches, 68.5 x 30.5 x 28 cm.

Rare 19th Century Korean Hyangsang Small Desk and Table with Drawer. Hyangsang were altar stands for the family home altar. Hyangsang (aka Hyangnosang or Hyangtak) are so scarce that this is the only one we have ever been able to acquire in our twenty years in business. 16w x 15.5h x 11.5d inches, 41w x 39h a 29d 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.

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."

Rare, Museum Quality 19th Century Medicine Chest (Yakjang) with Paulownia Doors. This is the finest work of Korean antique furniture we have ever offered, and likely the only example of this type anywhere outside of Korea. Antique medicine chests with doors are extremely rare even in Korea, and this is probably the best known condition among the very few left. Each drawer has the name of the medicine inscribed on it. Perfectly proportioned at 100 x 75 x 33 cm, 39.5 x 29.5 x 13 inches.

The classic yongmok samcheung-jang (Korean zelkova root chest with three levels) is probably the most-widely imitated type of Korean antique chest among the reproductions that are all over the internet. This exquisite and genuine 19th Century Joseon Dynasty yongmok samcheung-jang will surely be the showcase piece in any collection. Yongmok is zelkova root, and literally translates to dragon burlwood, which describes the shapes of dragons that can be seen in the very fancy grain of the zelkova root. This chest is a particularly rare and fine example in exceptionally good condition. If you ever do see an old and fine Korean chest of zelkova, it is always just the panels that are of zelkova, while the frame is pine. This rare chest actually uses zelkova for both the panels and the frame, so that the entire front is zelkova. The effect is quite stunning. The other sides are constructed of a fine wide-grained paulownia wood. The stand is carved in the shape of a bat, an ancient Korean symbol of good fortune, because bat and good fortune share the same pronunciation. Other than the cheaply-made reproductions of these that you see all over the internet (most of which are dishonestly described as antiques and are not even made in Korea), it is unlikely that you will see another genuine Joseon Dynasty Dragon Burlwood Three-Level Chest for sale, other than in Korea, where it will sell for multiples of this price. We receive emails almost weekly from factories in China that sell the reproductions very cheaply. Unlike some other dealers, we have never accepted these offers. There's nothing like the look of rare and exotic zelkova root that has aged for over 100 years. Unlike the reproductions, this genuine article will last for generations and the beauty of the old wood will only deepen and increase with age, making it a fine heirloom for a proud family. 64h x 43w x 20.75d inches, 162.5h x 109w x 52.75d cm.

Black Lacquered Mother of Pearl Table. This is a low table used in ancestor worship rituals. The gorgeous peony flower is a symbol of abundance and wealth. The delightfully rendered dokkaebi goblins that adorn each leg are guardians that chase away evil spirits. The clouds are symbols of Heaven, and the plum blossoms are symbols of courage. As you can see in the photo, there is some loss to one of the dokkaebi goblins, but this table is in otherwise amazing and excellent condition. 25w x 13d x 11.75h inches, 63.5w x 33d x 30h cm.

This gorgeous Ichung-nong (Korean Two Unit Stacked Chest) is a rare early piece (mid 19th Century) that has aged to a warm rich hue that is nothing short of a heartwarming and rare treasure to behold. It is a beautiful effect that could never be even closely duplicated with new wood. The finishing process involved singing the wood with a hot iron to both darken it and draw out the resin, and then using straw to rub pinesoot into the grain to further darken it and simultaneously seal the pores and prevent drying, and finishing it with a light pineseed oil finish. A further air of mystery and dignity is given by the very long aging process itself. It is constructed of pine and a rare strain of paulownia with maple door and drawer panels, a rare and luxurious touch on a Korean chest, evidence that this piece was owned by a wealthy family. Furthermore, 'nong' chests were owned by upper-class families who would have observed the distinction between 'nong', which were intended for long-term storage, and the 'chang' type of chests which were for short-term storage. Much of the ironwork is in the shape of stylized floral motifs. The drawers are adorned with lovely Heavenly Peach drawer pulls of iron. The fruit of the mythical Heavenly Peach tree ripens only once every three thousand years and is eaten by the immortals when they gather for their feast at Yao Lake at the the abode of Seowangmo, the Queen Mother of the West. A further nice historical and cultural touch on an already wonderful, one-of-a-kind piece. 54h x 35w x 14d inches, 137h x 89w x 35.5d cm.

Joseon Dynasty Ton-kwe (Korean Coin Chest). Coin chests are highly prized by collectors, as their purpose required that they be the largest, heaviest, and most well constructed piece of furniture in the home of an aristocrat. Paper money did not exist in Yi Dynasty Korea, and the coins were of very small denominations. They had to be strung together in large quantities to have any worth, so a strong money box was obviously a necessity. This is a very heavy and likely the most impressive authentic antique Korean coin chest you will ever see for sale. This massive and handsome coin chest must have belonged to a very wealthy family. 19.5 x 56 x 29 inches, 49.5 x 142 x 74 cm.