Rare Jin-Ju Bandaji Chest from Jin-Ju in Kyongsang
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Pre 1900 item# 888595 (stock# 0373)
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Korean Art and Antiques
917-675-1369
$10,000
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A very rare bandaji (front opening chest) from Jin-Ju in the Kyongsang Province. Jin-Ju Bandaji are among the most desirable items for Korean Antique collectors, for the quality of the workmanship and the artistry of the design. It is unlikely that you will see another offered for sale. This one was purchased from Christie's at their November 25, 1997 sale of Korean Art. The description from the Christie's catalog may be seen in the second photo here. This magnificent and very rare chest is in the same good condition that it was in when it was purchased from Christie's. The iron bosses are inlaid in silver with stylized insects. 39.5w x 29.5h x 19.75d inches, 100 x 75 x 50 cm.
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Lacquered Box with Tortoise Shell and Pearl Inlay
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Lacquer:
Pre 1900 item# 894403 (stock# 0384)
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Korean Art and Antiques
917-675-1369
$6000
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Black Lacquered Box with Dragon of Tortoise Shell and Mother-of-Pearl Inlay and brass hardware and brass wire with a silk-lined interior. This dragon that winds its way all around the box is exquisitely rendered and captures the loose and innocent quality of Korean dragons that art lovers adore in Korean paintings and ceramics, but does so in a medium that does not easily lend itself to such qualities, so this is really a finely accomplished work of art and a rare, museum quality piece. 12 x 12 x 7.5 inches, 30 x 30 x 19 cm.
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Extremely Rare 18th Century Korean Chest from Taegu
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Pre 1800 item# 872022 (stock# 0358)
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Korean Art and Antiques
917-675-1369
$5000
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18th Century Korean Furniture is so rare that we have only had one other example for sale. This 18th Century Bandaji from Taegu is truly a museum piece, as the few extant 18th Century pieces of Korean furniture are almost all in museums or private collections, and more specifically, we know of only one other 18th Century Taegu Bandaji that exists anywhere (The Weisman Art Museum's Edward R. Wright Collection; the late Edward R. Wright was the co-author, along with my old friend Pai Man Sill, of the book considered to be the bible on Korean antique furniture, Traditional Korean Furniture). This bandaji is an important piece of history and a fine example of the early and simple style. With its understated ironwork and slender door, the proportions are rare and elegant. Truly a once-in-a-lifetime offer. 36.75w x 20.75h x 15.75d inches, 93.5w x 53h x 40d cm.
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Rare 19th Century Burlwood Chest lined with Talismans
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Pre 1900 item# 938258 (stock# 0429)
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Korean Art and Antiques
917-675-1369
$3500
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Museum Quality 19th Century Burlwood Two-Level Chest. The front is a beautiful zelkova burlwood and the sides are paulownia. The hidden parts are pine. Old burlwood chests are rare. In fact, this is only the second burlwood chest that we've ever had, and it is a fine example with a very rich grain. And to make an already rare piece truly unique and valuable, the doors are lined inside with 19th Century talisman prints, that are themselves rare. We could remove these and sell them separately, but they belong on this very special chest, where they've been keeping it safe for many years. There is a small section of the bottom interior shelf that has been replaced, something that you commonly see. 55h x 43.5w x 20.25d inches, 140h x 110.5w x 51.5d cm.
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Antique Mother of Pearl & Black Lacquer Two-Piece Chest
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Pre 1910 item# 938012 (stock# 0428)
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Korean Art and Antiques
917-675-1369
$3500
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Rare and Stunning Antique Mother of Pearl and Black Lacquer Two-Piece Chest. These don't come up often. In fact, it is the first one we have ever had. The factory-made reproductions that you often see cannot come anywhere near the beauty of the artistry and design of an original hand-inlaid piece like this. Take a look at the unique and lovely scenes that adorn six sides. Even the top of the bottom piece has its own unique scene. The beautiful pattern on the front is a turtle shell motif, a symbol of a long and blessed life. The crazy thing is that it would cost much more than our asking price to have a hand-inlaid mother of pearl and black lacquer two-piece chest made by an artisan today. So this price is quite a steal for such a rare and wonderful piece. As you can see in the third photo here, the two pieces separate and may be displayed separately or stacked. 44.5h x 32.75w x 15.5d inches, 113h x 83w x 39.5d cm.
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Thick Hand Wrought Ironwork and Modified Interior Chest
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Pre 1900 item# 944367 (stock# 0430)
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Korean Art and Antiques
917-675-1369
$2000
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Large 19th Century Bandaji Chest (the largest we've ever had) from Kyonggi Province with beautiful hand wrought iron openwork of floral scrolls and auspicious symbols. The gorgeous ironwork is so thick it is like low relief. Kyonggi Province had the greatest concentration of the type of upper-class homes that would have owned a chest like this, so Kyonggi Bandaji are desired by collectors. But what makes this chest even more special is the inventive modification that was done to the interior. We stay away from modified pieces (in fact, this is the first one we've ever offered), but this was so well done, clever, and practical, that we decided to take it. The modification consists of an added shelf, under which there is a very large drawer fronted by exterior panels, and under that is a large hidden compartment. All this was done while maintaining the integrity and original condition of the exterior. And it has a good provenance. It sold at Skinner's auction house and still has the Skinner's lot sticker on the side panel (easily removable, if you wish). The dimensions are 42w x 38.5h x 21d inches, 107w x 98h x 53d cm. And if the size, modification, and ironwork aren't enough to make it a most special chest, it is the only chest we have ever had that comes with an old lock. The fish lock represents eternal vigilance, because the fish never closes its eyes, even when it sleeps, so your belongings are kept safe 24 hours. This chest is really a one-of-a-kind piece.
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19th Century Coin Chest of Thick and Fine Pine and Iron
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Pre 1900 item# 872013 (stock# 0356)
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Korean Art and Antiques
917-675-1369
$2000
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This 19th Century coin chest constructed of an especially fine and thick Korean pine and fine, thick ironwork is a strong and handsome example. Ton-kwe (Korean Coin Chests) are highly prized by collectors, as their purpose required that they be the heaviest and most well constructed piece of furniture in the home. 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, heavy quantities to have any worth, so a strong money box was a necessity. Here's a funny quote from 1898 on Korean money by Mattie Ingold, an American missionary physician who worked in Chonju: "If Korean money were proportionately as great in value as it is in weight and clumsiness, the Koreans would be a very wealthy people." 36w x 18d x 16.25h inches, 91.5w x 46d x 41h cm.
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19th Century Chest from Cholla w/Beautiful Old Finish
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Pre 1900 item# 871998 (stock# 0352)
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Korean Art and Antiques
917-675-1369
$2000
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This old Bandaji (Front Opening Chest) from Cholla has developed a warm reddish glow to its lovely zelkova wood grain from a patina that has been developing since the 19th Century. It is a heart warming piece with a look that can never be replicated 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. The ironwork is done in a simple and rustic swallowtail motif, the Korean symbol of beauty and delight. A good find for the serious collector. 39w x 25.75h x 15.25d inches, 99w x 65.5h x 39d cm.
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Dark Zelkova Wood Korean Chest from Kangwon
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Pre 1900 item# 871976 (stock# 0348)
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Korean Art and Antiques
917-675-1369
$2000
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This Bandaji (Korean Front Opening Chest), constructed entirely of beautiful zelkova wood, has some of the most spectacular ironwork we have ever seen. There are a great variety of finely rendered auspicious motifs, including: hinges that are gorgeous stylizations of pullocho (the magical longevity plant); a gourd shaped center hinge (symbolizing good health); lotus (symbol of birth and creation); chrysanthemums (for a productive, fruitful life); swallowtails (beauty and prosperity); bats (an ancient symbol of good luck); and clouds (In the past, people believed that when they accumulated enough good deeds in this world, they rode clouds to the sky and became a human Buddha in the next world. Shapes of clouds can also be found on the murals in ancient tombs). 36.25" (92cm) wide x 15.75" (40cm) deep x 33" (84cm) tall. This Dark Zelkova Chest from Kangwon makes a perfect pair with our Light Zelkova Chest from Kangwon on this site (Stock#0102), as pictured in the last photo here (#6).
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Fine and Old Korean Coin Chest (Tonkwe), Nice Ironwork
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Furniture:
Pre 1900 item# 805655 (stock# 0236)
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Korean Art and Antiques
917-675-1369
$2000
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This piece is currently on view at an exhibition at the Korea Society. Genuine 19th Century Ton-kwe (Korean Coin Chests) are becoming increasingly rare on the antiques market. They are highly prized by collectors, as their purpose required that they be the heaviest and most well constructed piece of furniture in the home. 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, heavy quantities to have any worth, so a strong money box was a necessity. Here's a funny quote from 1898 on Korean money by Mattie Ingold, an American missionary physician who worked in Chonju: "If Korean money were proportionately as great in value as it is in weight and clumsiness, the Koreans would be a very wealthy people." This coin chest of Korean pine is a fine and old example. The iron lockplate is itself a work of art. It is in the shape of an inventively rendered swallowtail, and is adorned with wan symbols (Buddhist swastikas), a symbol that actually predates Buddhism and originally represented the revolving sun or life. In Buddhism it represents represents the Heart of the Buddha, resignation of spirit, and all happiness that humanity desires. The swallowtail shape is echoed in the iron hinges. The swallow is a symbol of beauty and prosperity in Korea. 36w x 21h x 17.5d inches, 91.5 x 53.5 x 44.5 cm.
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