Years later, I came to realize that my university studies in Geomorphology had greatly aided my comprehension of Korean furniture in terms of the materials employed in its construction. During my initial visit to Korea in the mid-1980s, I was struck by the deep reverence Koreans held for wood. An examination of the country’s geography […]
Feature photo: Day bed. DATE1800s. zelkova frame, bamboo slats, brass fittings. HxWxD: 12 1/2 × 78 × 37 in. Collection: Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis, USA If we examine the Goguryeo tomb murals depicting daily life, we can see that the Goguryeo royal family and nobles lived a seated lifestyle. There are two theories about the […]
AUCTIONS IN THE WEST. This study is based on the examination of approximately 300 Korean pieces presented at various auctions around the world. We deliberately excluded furniture considered contemporary as well as those we classified as reproductions or items made for the decorative market. The first part focuses on sales by various establishments, primarily based […]
NGV. National Gallery Of Victoria. Melbourne, Australia. LINK: Spotlight on the NGV Collection | Korean Art
Since the inception of this blog, we have consistently monitored auctions featuring Korean furniture. Geographically, the majority of these sales take place in the USA, Europe, and Korea. Concurrently, we also review the inventories of dealers specializing in Asian furniture. As dealers, we established a gallery in Bangkok, Thailand specializing in Asian furniture, with a […]
Our exploration of the various collections housed in Korean furniture museums has enabled us to identify furniture with distinctive designs. Feature image: Described as a clothing chest. Period Japanese occupation, early 20th century.H. 121,5cm, W. 88cm, D. 39cm.Also called a Jeongju wardrobe, this chest is from Jeongju city, capital of North Jeolla province DOCUMENT & […]
JOSEON – 조선 : Last Korean dynasty ( 1392 to 1910 ). Also referred as Yi or Choson Dynasty. THE KOREAN HOUSE HANOK – 한옥 : Korean traditional house. Hanok were first designed and built in the 14th century during the Joseon dynasty. ANCHAE – 안채 : is a section of a Korean traditional house that is reserved […]
“Nobody knows quite when the candlestick or lantern first appeared on the Korean Peninsula, but the archaeological record provides fascinating insight. The earliest-known candlestick found in digs dates back to the end of the Unified Silla (668-935) period. But a magnificent, 25.5 centimeter pair of what at first glance seems to be a pair of […]
There are numerous auction houses in Korea; however, it’s challenging to monitor them online. Consequently, we only focus on tracking the primary auction houses located in Seoul. I AUCTION. Haksan building, 50 Samil Daero 30-gil, Jongno Gu. Seoul. LINK: I AUCTION K AUCTION. 23 Eonju-ro 172-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea. NOVEMBER 2022 DECEMBER 2022 JANUARY […]
TRADITION & INSIGHT EXHIBITION. JJ ART. 16 Insa-dong 9-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Baekak Museum of Art, 1st floor. May 23, to June 23, 2017. NATIONAL FOLK MUSEUM OF KOREA. Najeon, Glimmer & Shine. May 19, 2023 ~ August 27, 2023. Najeon is a decorative technique that involves using mother-of-pearl from the shells of abalones, conchs, and […]