The large peony motif and expansive use of mother-of-pearl in this stationery box reflect a trend found in later Joseon lacquer. Three rows of five peonies are linked with scrolling twisted wire. In a departure from earlier lacquerware, peony leaves completely fill the space between the blossoms. Here the mother-of-pearl becomes the focus of the work, especially in the border, with the black lacquer acting as a backdrop.
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Artwork Details
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나전 칠 모란 넝쿨 무늬 서류상자 조선 螺鈿漆牡丹唐草文書類箱子 朝鮮
Title:Stationery box decorated with peony scrolls
Period:Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)
Date:18th century
Culture:Korea
Medium:Lacquer inlaid with mother-of-pearl
Dimensions:H. 5 3/8 in. (13.7 cm); W. 15 in. (38.1 cm); L. 22 3/8 in. (56.8 cm)
Classification:Lacquer
Credit Line:Gift of Florence and Herbert Irving, 2015
Accession Number:2015.500.3.5a, b
[ Klaus F. Naumann , Tokyo, until 1990; sold to Irving]; Florence and Herbert Irving , New York (1990–2015; donated to MMA)
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "East Asian Lacquer from the Florence and Herbert Irving Collection," November 22, 1991–February 23, 1992.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Arts of Korea," August 23, 2003–June 28, 2004.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Asian Lacquer: Masterpieces from the Florence and Herbert Irving Collection," November 3, 2007–May 11, 2008.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Art of Korea," July 7–November 15, 2009.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Arts of Korea," May 19–November 7, 2010.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Representation/Abstraction in Korean Art," November 23, 2010–March 20, 2011.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Patchwork Textiles Across Cultures," August 24–December 5, 2011.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Korean Art," June 8–November 11, 2012.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "The Still Life in Korean Art," June 7, 2014–February 1, 2015.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Korea: 100 Years of Collecting at the Met," February 7, 2015–March 27, 2016.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Expressions of Nature in Korean Art," April 2–September 18, 2016.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Splendors of Korean Art," October 1, 2016–October 22, 2017.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Shell and Resin: Korean Mother-of-Pearl and Lacquer," December 13, 2021–July 5, 2022.
Watt, James C. Y., and Barbara Brennan Ford. East Asian Lacquer: The Florence and Herbert Irving Collection. Exh. cat. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1991, pp. 322–323, cat. no. 157.
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