Book and stationary chest
(Mungap 문갑)
(early 20th century)
Medium
persimmon wood, paulownia wood, brass
Measurements
40.0 × 97.0 × 31.0 cm
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Gift of Warren Reedman and Jun Park, 2015
Gallery location
Level 1, NGV International
About this work
Yi (Joseon) dynasty furniture is admired as some of the most representative and decorative artworks of Korea. Known for their elegant design, skilled workmanship and superb use of wood and metal, such furniture represents ancient Korean spirituality and the legacy of Korean families from the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Book and stationery chests (mungap) were used to store documents, paper, writing implements and other items. This unadorned example, featuring persimmon wood, panelled sliding doors and small balsam-blossom handles, would have furnished a man’s room (sarangbang) used for studying, the writing of poetry and conversation.
Artwork Details
Physical description
Yi (Joseon) dynasty furniture is admired as some of the most representational and decorative artworks of Korea. Known for their elegant design, skilled workmanship and superb use of wood and metal, this furniture represents ancient Korean spirituality and the legacy of Korean families from the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Book and stationery chests (mungap) were used to store documents, paper, writing implements and other items. This unadorned example, featuring persimmon wood, panelled sliding doors and small balsam blossom handles, would have furnished a man’s room (sarangbang) used for studying, the writing of poetry and conversation.