THE BRITISH MUSEUM.

The Department of Asia covers the material and visual cultures of Asia. Our extensive Korean collection highlights a number of ornamental works of celadon as well as Goryeo lacquer and metalwork.

17thC-18thC. Height: 15.70 centimetres
Length: 18.50 centimetres
Weight: 1.87 kilograms
Width: 18.80 centimetres

Length: 37 centimetres
Width: 10.50 centimetres

Height: 11.20 centimetres
Length: 31.50 centimetres
Width: 39 centimetres

Foliate-shaped lacquer cosmetic lidded box, with inlaid decoration of chrysanthemums in mother-of-pearl. 13thC.
Height: 3.00 – 3.40 centimetres
Width: 9.50 centimetres

Hat case made of paper, wood, pigment. Late 19thC.
Diameter: 42 centimetres
Height: 20.50 centimetres

Korean chess game comprising board and thirty-two pieces, and a string bag to store the counters. Made of wood and textile.
Late 19thC-early 20thC.
Height: 14.5 centimetres,
Length: 45 centimetres,
Width: 53.20 centimetres.

Polygonal table made of wood. 19thC
Height: 33.80 centimetres
Width: 47 centimetres

Decorated with auspicious characters. Made of lacquered and mother-of-pearl inlaid wood. 19thC.
Height: 9 centimetres
Length: 23 centimetres
Depth: 9 centimetres

Round sewing tray, made of lacquered wood with mother-of-pearl inlaid decoration of fish, waterfall and plum blossom.
Late 19thC-early 20thC.
Diameter: 33 centimetres
Height: 10 centimetres

Sutra-holder (나전국당초문경함 螺鈿菊唐草文經函); box
Lacquered wooden box for storing Buddhist sutras. The decoration in mother-of-pearl and silver wire of peony scrolls and stylized chrysanthemum is paralleled by that inlaid on celadons of the same period.
Goryeo Dynasty, 13th century. H. 25,50cm, L. 25cm, : W. 47,50cm.

VICTORIA & ALBERT MUSEUM


(나전칠모란문상자). Lacquered wood inlaid with shell, turtle shell, and copper wires. Korean inlaid lacquer (najeon chilgi 나전칠기) , crakling technique (tachalbeop 타찰법). 19th century.
H. 42cm, W. 44.8cm, D. 23.5cm

Lacquered wood, with mother-of-pearl inlay. Low slung table with inlaid decoration of rocks, plum blossom and four birds, bordered by landscape scenes including pavilions and equestrian figures. H. 33.5cm, W. 99.7cm, D. 64.5cm.

Choson dynasty, 1880-1900.
H. 85.2cm, W. 98.5cm, D. 45.7cm.

1890-1910. Red lacquer two-tiered chest on stand with mother-of-pearl inlay and brass hinges. Inlaid wood, lacquer, mother-of-pearl and brass.
H. 136.3cm, W. 84cm, D. 48.5cm.

Lacquered wood, with mother-of-pearl inlay and brass fittings.
H. 3cm, W. 25.2cm, D. 14.7cm.

Korea, early 20th C.
H. 23cm, W. 19.6cm, D. 29cm.

Wood, covered in paper with paper cuts and lacquered. Octagonal box of multi-colored paper made by Korean artist Kim Jin-sun. The bottom part is divided into five compartments, each in a different color. The lid has paper-cut decorations and on the sides the taeguk symbol. Diameter: 26.3cm, H. 6cm.


H. 11.5cm, W. 17.8cm, D. 21.2cm.

Pine and zelkova are grown in Korea. Zelkova is a hardwood known for its dramatic grain patterns. This type of furniture, with its plain, restrained design, was thought to be appropriate for a man’s room, while more colourful, lacquered chests were used in a woman’s quarters.

The detailed rendering of this duck, with the realistic carving of its plumage and the traces of the paint that would originally have covered its entire surface, suggests that it was made for a high-ranking family.


The design on this lacquered box formed by a mother-of-pearl inlay is of vine leaves, grapes and squirrels. The box is reinforced at the corners by brass bars, and it has a hinged lid. The lock plate is engraved with scrolling foliage. It is likely to have contained documents. It dates from the end of the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910).

This red lacquer stacking chest makes lavish use of brass plates and hinges to strengthen and enhance the simple box construction. Various outdoor scenes have been inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The two chests are not joined, they simply sit one on top of the other. They rest on a matching red lacquer stand. Such a stand would have protected the chests from ondol heating, this being the underfloor heating that was, and still is, in use in Korea. Since this chest was designed to be placed against the wall, its back is not decorated.


Height: 23.5cm
Width: 20cm
Depth: 19.7cm

Diameter: 26cm
Of brim width: 5,5cm
Height: 11cm. During the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910), gentlemen appearing in public always wore appropriate headwear. A hat made of woven horsehair, known as a ‘gat/kat’ (갓), was the distinctive sign of a well-born man, and complemented his outfit of wide trousers, cross-fastened jacket, and long flowing cloak. Its horsehair crown and the brim, made of bamboo strands, are joined together then lacquered. The height of the crown and the diameter of the brim have changed with time, and the gat’s size became smaller after the decree of 1895 prohibiting hair topknots.

Lid height: 10cm, Width: 9.8cm. This wooden box was used to store the oryanggwan, a gilded lacquer headdress, which was worn by court officials together with the ceremonial ensemble called jobok.
