Vintage Korean Elm Medicine Chest, 16 Carved Drawers, Brass Fish Lock

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A Korean apothecary chest made for the export trade, likely in the 1970s or 80s. Sixteen small drawers sit above … Read more A Korean apothecary chest made for the export trade, likely in the 1970s or 80s. Sixteen small drawers sit above a two-door cupboard. Each drawer front is figured elm with a wild, striped grain, carved with Chinese characters (hanja) in the style of old herbalist chests. Here the characters are decorative.

The hardware is all brass: ring pulls on every drawer, a fish lock on a butterfly plate, butterfly hinges, and corner mounts at the winged top and feet. It stands on a cutout bracket base in the traditional Korean style.

Great scale for an entry, beside a sofa, or as a nightstand with real storage. The drawers hold everything from jewelry to tea to desk supplies.

A brass fish lock on a butterfly-shaped plate holds the doors shut, with matching butterfly hinges. Brass mounts cap the corners of the winged top and the feet, and the chest stands on a traditional cutout bracket base.

The drawers are shallow and there are lots of them, and that's what makes it useful. Tea, spices, jewelry, hardware, sewing notions, all the little things that never have a home. Put it in a hallway or next to a sofa and it works as a side table with a drawer for everything. See less