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Subject:Korean Writing on Cabinet
Posted By: Sean Wed, Oct 08, 2014 IP: 105.227.41.19 Can any one tell me anything about this cabinet? |
Subject:Re: Korean Writing on Cabinet
Posted By: Bill H Wed, Oct 08, 2014 There's no doubt in my mind that the writing and cabinet are both Korean. I believe it is traditional for Korean cabinetmakers to line the inside of products like yours with newspapers, or at least that's what I gathered when discussing with friends in Seoul where to go in the city to buy three Korean chests of my own on a visit there about 30 years ago. They sent me to the Itaewon district, and I can vouch that my choices look pretty much like yours on the inside, though the newspaper in mine is in a bit better shape. The maker made no effort to convince me that the varnished pieces I bought were antique. Your cabinet, on the other hand, looks like it once had a traditional oiled finish, so may be older, but that's a call for someone with more experience than I possess in the field. |
Subject:Re: Korean Writing on Cabinet
Posted By: Sean Thu, Oct 09, 2014 Thanks for the response. |
Subject:Re: Korean Writing on Cabinet
Posted By: rat Wed, Oct 08, 2014 Looks like pages ripped from a book of Chinese philosophy, with textual exegisis printed after the original text. This was read in traditional Korea. Not sure what the column of hangul represents though. |
Subject:Re: Korean Writing on Cabinet
Posted By: Super Wed, Oct 08, 2014 It always amazed me that people always appear to be able to tell the language shown on their art pieces even though they could not read them. |
Subject:Not Chinese?
Posted By: Super Sat, Oct 11, 2014 Please understand that it was not my intention to insult anybody because it was indeed interesting for me to learn that this can indeed be a Korean piece. It just irks me to see so many people posted pieces here in this forum assuming the characters on their piece were Japanese, Korean or Vietnamese without their knowing any of these languages. It may be better for them just to describe it as an "Asian or oriental language" in that case. |
Subject:Re: Korean Writing on Cabinet
Posted By: rat Wed, Oct 08, 2014 Actually I don't think that's hangul in the last vertical line after all, it's just that the paper is wrinkled and folded over on itself. That doesn't mean the cabinet isn't Korean, as the metal fittings on the cabinet suggest it's not Chinese, but I don't know enough to rule out Japanese as well. |
Subject:Re: Korean Writing on Cabinet
Posted By: Bill H Thu, Oct 09, 2014 As to the lining of the cabinet, I took a clue from the circular elements throughout the text that it was from Korea. In any event it is my understanding that standard Chinese Characters continued to be used by scholars and in official documents in Korea until the end of the 19th century. When I was in Seoul years ago, Chinese was still being used in signs on some of the downtown office buildings, including one of the daily newspapers. I assume Chinese-language materials are used inside such Korean furniture to suggest antiquity. |
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