Antique Korean Scholar Book Storage Chest with Buddhism Symbols

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A Korean wood chest made from zelkova wood (Korean Elm) circa late 19th century (end of Joseon period). The chest … Read more A Korean wood chest made from zelkova wood (Korean Elm) circa late 19th century (end of Joseon period). The chest was likely used as to store and view books and manuscripts in men's study. The cabinet features a top plank with upturned ends, a more common feature in scholar's desk, which is to prevent the falling off of the scrolls. The upper level has three small drawers while the lower level has a voluminous storage space with a pair of door panels open in the center. The chest is supported on carved legs with curvy apron, a style called Madae in Korean. The iron fittings are minimal and restrained in this type of scholarly piece in keep with the humble ideal of the Confucius society, but upon close look, they were finely crafted and used in a subtle way especially around the corners of the drawer partition. The wood was stained in a slight reddish tone, revealing the expressive interlocked and swirling grains of the elm wood. In the center of each drawer surrounding the small brass pull, there is an engraved Double Yeouido pattern. A much larger Yeouido was also engraved on each side wall of the chest. Yeoui (Ruyi in Chinese) is an old mythological symbol originated in China. It literally means “everything goes according to wishes and prayers”. It might have taken the cloud form from magical fungus and is commonly found on the head of a ritual staff held by Buddhism and Taoism deities. The prevalent feature of this design on this cabinet suggests that this chest was inspired by early sutra chest used in the Buddhist monastery and possibly was made to store the collection of Buddhism manuscript in a devoted household.
Compare this piece to a bookcase with similar engraved motif in the collection of Seoul Museum of Craft Art, #1350. See less