Antique Korean Elm Chest

Hi!....This is a recent purchase!.....I am absolutely in love with it!!.....I bought this from a private seller...who purchased it from a Estate sale....she said that she didn't know what it was exactly....in looking at the pictures I noticed the paper on the inside...??...so I went to see it the day before I purchased it...because I was thinking that maybe the paper was put there because they had stained it...or maybe it has bugs....but I was pleased to find out that the chest was in the owners dinning room so I felt comfortable that it was free of bugs....not stained and looked to be in its natural aged state........the Chest is approx. 40 in long x 18 in wth x 40 ht .....I think the metal may be white brass?.....I'm not sure if the wood is Elm or Dragon wood??...... the night before purchase, I checked the internet and discovered that the chest is Korean....I got it for approx. $100 which is much less than it is worth.....so where I may have over spent purchasing a pair of vases over the summer.....finding this more than made up for it .....so I was really thrilled about that....

 

Alesia, did you forget your photos?

 

Lol!!.....I did....I just spent over a half an hour trying not to have the pics at the top......I kept deleting adding the photos but I could not get it to add the pics at the bottom.....

 

Just a mention....I did see a video about Korean Antiques and they said that the paper was commonly used on the inside of these chest because they weren't finished and to possibly protect the clothing from getting snagged etc.....

 

Since I've never heard of it before. . .what is dragon wood?

 

I watched a video about Korean Antiques called

I watched a video by the Korean Society where they discussed Korean antiques...etc....they mentioned types of wood used, Elm, Persimmon....the only thing I know is that Dragon wood is a highly prized wood used in Korea,and Japan...and that its close to elm tree family...they favor the natural wavy grain pattern of the wood.....The name "Dragon wood"...is probably a nic name

 

JMHO.
form is correct.
estate sale ? NOT!
still available brandnew and might have been brought back by US army guys after their service sometime after 1953.
http://www.orientalexpression.co.uk/korean-chest-on-chest.html

 

The pictures go where the insertion line is (that blinking line that lets you know where the next thing will appear), so to get the photos below the text, be certain that your insertion line is below the text. Move your cursor below the text and click... that sets the insertion line.

(@daveydempsey : is this something to add to "Posting a thread and uploading pictures"?)

 

I love it, Alesia.

Not dragonwood. Dragonwood has a very pronounced grain that is said to look like a swirling dragon. You have to use your imagination to see the dragon, I see flowing water and those rings you get when you throw a pebble in a pond.

Korean dragonwood scholar's chest:

http://galleriesext.com/korean-scholars-book-chest-in-dragonwood/

Yes, a bargain.

 

I bought it originally thinking maybe I would just resale/flip it....but the more I looked at it the more I fell in love with it....then I started thinking when am I ever going to find one of these at this price?....so its a keeper!......I was guessing at the age maybe late 1800's or early 1900's???....I did see a few on the internet which were the same style and they were listed as circa 1880....Do you know the age of this Chest?

 

I'm sorry, I don't. But I would keep it as well.

 

I am with Fid on this. 50s or later. Would expect better hardware/detailing on an antique. Here are some examples of old Korean furniture.

Korean, Furniture from The Zentner Collection of Antique Asian art

Paper interiors are usually like this.

 

.....the 50's or later is about 70 yrs or so...Even if its vintage that is just as good for me....its still a nice purchase for $100 especially being that I saw one with the asking price at 4-5x's that....so I'm good!....i just have to find a spot for it....I do need to clean it off but I'm not sure what to use other than vinegar & water with a little dawn dish liquid....or simple green....if anyone has any suggestions please share your thoughts....Thanks

 

I saw one like mine that sold on the site called Antiques Atlas in the UK.....it was the same design, but with a more masculine square cornered metal work, it was just a little bit smaller....I'm not sure how much it sold for...these Korean Chest are absolutely beautiful!...but can be quite pricey.....I am on the look out for a Korean chest with the butterfly metal work...via Estate sale etc...

 

I think you did great on the price. I would clean it with soap and water with a damp cloth. Try not to get it too wet. Dish soap is good. Murphy's oil soap or similar is better. Once clean and dry, go over it with some Howard's Restor-A-Finish to take care of the scratches and renew the finish. A coat of paste wax after that wouldn't hurt.

 

....Thanks for the information!