TRADITIONAL KOREAN FURNITURE

The traditional furniture of Korea represents one of the great woodworking and design heritages of Asia and the world. Particularly in the last quarter century, Korean chests and furniture pieces have been highly prized by antique collectors and interior decorators everywhere. These objects' simplicity, vigor, strength, dignity, and, above all, their elegance allow them to harmonize with an amazing range of room styles and interior designs. The counterpoint of wood grain and metal-work makes them objects that capture attention and delight the eye.

Yet, mysteriously, though old Korean chests are widely owned both in North America and Europe and are available on the Oriental antique market, they are often wrongly attributed to China, or their Korean origin is otherwise ignored. Further, authentic, old pieces are now rare in Korea itself. Reproduction pieces--both well-crafted ones and those simply slapped together--are made in quantity today.

Considering the size of the Korean peninsula, the quantity and variety of traditional furniture and chest types is astonishing, especially in light of the fact that most extant antique pieces date from only the last century. Styles vary from pieces with delicate wood inlay, shell inlay in lacquer, and opulent carving, to folk pieces cheerfully displaying flaws, knot holes, and tool marks. Variations on a type are seemingly endless: with the exception of pairs of wedding boxes, one wonders if Korean woodworkers ever made two identical pieces.

Though there has long been a need for a clear guide to the intricacies of this marvelous furniture, this is the first systematic survey of Korean furniture in any language. The 152 plates depict a wide variety of objects of the highest quality, artless folk as well as flamboyant aristocratic pieces, and set a standard for appreciation and evaluation. The 106 figures illustrate the research of the authors into traditional Korean houses and lifestyles as well as woods, joinery, metal fittings, and woodworker's tools. This pioneering book provides a grand overview of one of the world's great furniture traditions.