Antique Korean Burr Elm Treasure Cabinet (Kap Kae Suri) Chest of Drawers, Late 19th Century
Antique Korean Burr Elm Treasure Cabinet (Kap Kae Suri) Chest of Drawers, Late 19th Century
Antique Korean Cabinet
A highly decorative piece of furniture made from elm and burr elm with decorative brass hardware and iron carrying handles.
Known as a KAP KAE SURI (갑게수리) which translates as a small container referred to as a “safe,” where nobles stored important documents or valuable items.
Unusually for a Korean treasure cabinet, there are two separate drawers above the main cabinet section below. The handles on these drawers are modelled as bats which represent fortune/luck. In Korean fortune (福 fu) and bat (蝠 fu) are pronounced the same.
Underneath the top drawers, the main cabinet doors open up to reveal nine further drawers of different sizes and shapes.
Dating from the late Joseon Dynasty period, circa 1880-1900 in date.
Overall it is in good vintage condition with wear commensurate with age and use. A small piece of trim is missing on the back foot on the left-hand side. The same foot has also been repaired at some point where blocks of wood have been used to sure up the foot underneath on the base. The original keys are not present so the locks are currently not in use.
Approximate measurements 75cm wide x 47cm deep x 80cm high.
Delivery is £85 to the majority of the mainland UK, for those in remote areas of the UK or for international enquiries please ask for a tailored quote.
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