Cabinet In Lacquered Wood And Drowned Mother-of-pearl. Korea Choson Dynasty. 19th Century Or Before.

Small wooden cabinet covered with black lacquer, with 4 drawers. Bronze handle and rings. Decor of birds and plants in drowned mother-of-pearl. The cabinet has an almost cubic shape. Old Korean lacquers are very rare. The Seoul Museum houses some lacquers, including a pillow with an identical decoration of ducks to the one that can be seen on our cabinet (lower drawer on the right side). It is difficult to date this style of lacquer, the Choson dynasty having reigned for 600 years since the 14th century. Wear and tear, cracks, losses, shocks but despite all this mistreatment no mother-of-pearl motif is missing, which proves an exceptional solidity of the lacquer due to a perfect mastery of the Korean lacquerers of this period. 24x26x25cm Korea 19th century or before.