Chaekkori
19th century
Chaekkori (books and scholar items) is a genre that depicts objects one might find in a scholar’s study during the Joseon dynasty, when Confucian values prevailed in Korean society. Literati tools are often included, the most important being bookcases and brushes, symbolizing aspirations for success in the civil service examinations. This artist clearly delighted in showing additional charming and exotic collectibles: porcelain vases, musical instruments, plants, animals, foods, and even a pair of eyeglasses.
Four-panel folding screen; ink and color on paper
36 x 64 in. (91.4 x 162.6 cm)
Gift of Susan Way and Clark Sorensen
2022.15.1
Provenance: [Unknown gallery, Insa-dong, Seoul, Korea]; purchased from gallery by Susan Way and Clark Sorensen, Seattle, Washington, 1977; to Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, 2022
