Box
pre 1994 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
A Korean saying – ‘paper lives a thousand years but silk for only five hundred’ – may explain the plethora of practical uses to which paper has been put over the years. These range from covering floors and windows to making bags, boxes and even umbrellas. Papermaking has a long and illustrious history in Korea: that of the Koryo (918–1392) and Choson (1392–1910) dynasties won the praise of even the Chinese, who were not usually inclined to prize foreign goods.
This octagonal box was made by a Korean artist working in the paper-decorating tradition. Its skeleton is of wood, over which have been pasted a few layers of white paper and finally the coloured papers that form the design. A final lacquer coating acts as a sealant and protector.
The base of the box is divided into sections. Black paper cuts decorate the lid and sides of the box. The circular emblems interspersed with the paper cuts on the side of the box derive from Taoism.
This octagonal box was made by a Korean artist working in the paper-decorating tradition. Its skeleton is of wood, over which have been pasted a few layers of white paper and finally the coloured papers that form the design. A final lacquer coating acts as a sealant and protector.
The base of the box is divided into sections. Black paper cuts decorate the lid and sides of the box. The circular emblems interspersed with the paper cuts on the side of the box derive from Taoism.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | Wood, covered in paper with paper cuts and laquered |
| Brief description | Octagunal box of multi-coloured paper made by Korean artist Kim Jin-sun. Decorated with paper-cuts. |
| Physical description | Octagunal box of multi-coloured paper made by Korean artist Kim Jin-sun. The bottom part is divided into five compartments, each in a different colour. The lid has paper-cut decorations and on the sides the taeguk symbol. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Production type | Unique |
| Credit line | Given by Mrs Springflower Reveley |
| Object history | The object formed a part of a donation given to the V&A in November 1999 by Mrs. Springflower Revely Historical significance: The circular emblems on the side of the box are called t'aeguk in Korean, and derive from Daoism. |
| Historical context | The blue, red, green and yellow colours of the box are typically Korean and seen on numerous Korean artefacts, temples and so forth. |
| Summary | A Korean saying – ‘paper lives a thousand years but silk for only five hundred’ – may explain the plethora of practical uses to which paper has been put over the years. These range from covering floors and windows to making bags, boxes and even umbrellas. Papermaking has a long and illustrious history in Korea: that of the Koryo (918–1392) and Choson (1392–1910) dynasties won the praise of even the Chinese, who were not usually inclined to prize foreign goods. This octagonal box was made by a Korean artist working in the paper-decorating tradition. Its skeleton is of wood, over which have been pasted a few layers of white paper and finally the coloured papers that form the design. A final lacquer coating acts as a sealant and protector. The base of the box is divided into sections. Black paper cuts decorate the lid and sides of the box. The circular emblems interspersed with the paper cuts on the side of the box derive from Taoism. |
| Bibliographic reference | Kim, Jin-sun. Exhibition. Seoul, 1994. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | FE.2:1, 2-1999 |
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| Record created | June 8, 1999 |
| Record URL |
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