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 it has been put over the years. These range from covering floors and windows and to making bags, boxes and even umbrellas. Paper-making has a long and illustrious history in Korea: that of the Koryo (918-1392) and the Choson (1392-1910) dynasties won the praise of even the Chinese, who were not usually inclined to prize foreign goods.
These boxes, which fit one into the other much like Russian dolls, were made by a contemporary artist working in the paper-decorating tradition. The skeleton of the boxes 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 bright colours of the box are often used in Korean art and culture. Delicate paper-cuts on the top and sides of the lids add visual impact and meaning: the black roundel in the centre of the lid is a stylised version of the Chinese character meaning "longevity".
These boxes, which fit one into the other much like Russian dolls, were made by a contemporary artist working in the paper-decorating tradition. The skeleton of the boxes 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 bright colours of the box are often used in Korean art and culture. Delicate paper-cuts on the top and sides of the lids add visual impact and meaning: the black roundel in the centre of the lid is a stylised version of the Chinese character meaning "longevity".
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | hanji paper, paper-cut |
| Brief description | Rectangular box of multi-coloured paper made by Korean artist Kim Jin-sun. Decorated with paper-cuts. FE.8-1999 fits into FE.7-1999 which then fits into FE.6-1999. |
| Physical description | Rectangular box made of different coloured Korean paper made by the artist Kim Jin-sun. |
| 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 context | The bright colours of the box are often used in Korean art 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 it has been put over the years. These range from covering floors and windows and to making bags, boxes and even umbrellas. Paper-making has a long and illustrious history in Korea: that of the Koryo (918-1392) and the Choson (1392-1910) dynasties won the praise of even the Chinese, who were not usually inclined to prize foreign goods. These boxes, which fit one into the other much like Russian dolls, were made by a contemporary artist working in the paper-decorating tradition. The skeleton of the boxes 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 bright colours of the box are often used in Korean art and culture. Delicate paper-cuts on the top and sides of the lids add visual impact and meaning: the black roundel in the centre of the lid is a stylised version of the Chinese character meaning "longevity". |
| Bibliographic reference | Kim, Jin-sun. Exhibition. Seoul, 1994. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | FE.8-1999 |
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| Record created | December 9, 1999 |
| Record URL |
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