Korean Paintings and Screens

A wonderfully hand-painted and quite wonderfully detailed Korean (or perhaps Chinese) folk art Minhwa Jakhodo (The letters “jak” means magpie; “ho” means tiger; and “do” means painti...

A gorgeous early to midcentury Korean embroidered eight-panel screen depicting scenic nature motifs of flowering trees, playful birds, and floating butterflies. Rare and hard to come...

An absolutely gorgeous, monumental, exceptionally large Korean ten-panel Sipjangsaengdo Byobu folding screen depicting the ten symbols of longevity—sun, mountain, water, rock, cloud,...

A Korean four-panel folding screen circa 1830s, from the late Joseon Dynasty. The painting depicts a vivid hunting scene on four vertical scroll panels mounted with brocade borders. The four panels are related to each other in narrative but not in an absolutely continuous fashion, therefore they could be viewed individually and independently, which was not uncommon in the screen paintings as they are meant to be folded and unfolded as needed. The pictures show a general on the far left panel seated on a low platform bed...

Grapevine Anonymous. Korean, 17th century. Wall panel, ink on paper. Upper seal: Kou Kinun in Lower seal: Kaigen Dimensions: Measures: 98.5 cm x 29.5 cm (39” ...

This exquisite hanging scroll painting from the late 18th century depicts the sacred form of the bodhisattva Guanyin, known in Japanese Buddhism as Shō Kannon, or Guze Kannon. Descri...

Books and Scholars’ Accouterments; Chaekgeori Second half of the 19th century Korean framed panel. Ink and color on paper. This Korean Chaekgeori...

A Korean Folk Art painting mounted as a hanging scroll. The watercolor on paper was likely dated from 1930s-1940s. The work depicts a "Jakhodo" theme (...

A six-panel painted folding floor screen from Korea circa early 20th century. This type of screen is called Chaekgeori (books and things) which is quite unique to Korea. It became popular at the end of 18th century favored and encouraged by King Jeongjo (1752-1800) as a political tool to promote social conservatism such as the traditional Confucianism value, especially considered important in a time when waves of new ideology influx came to Korea. Initially commissioned for the royal court, they became increasingly popular with the scholars of noble and affluent households and were used widely in their halls and studies. Early screens were painted with trompe-l’oeil bookcases displaying books and arrays of collectibles. Later, the bookcases were eliminated to focus on the assemblage of neatly stacked books and objects of scholarly pursue. On this screen, the six panels were neatly presented and framed in woven brocade borders. Among the stacked volumes, one can find many fine porcelain vases with flowers, potted orchids, pen holders with brush pens and scroll paintings, incense burner, ink stone, teapot, fan with ink painting, vessels of fruits, exotic plants such as lotus, plumeria and even a pair of glasses. It feels like a pleasant visual measure hunting for the viewers. Several words in Chinese found their way into the picture as well, including filial (xiao), longevity (shou) and luck (fu). The painting was done in a meticulous way with no details overlooked and also with a rather western still-life dimensional perspective. In a rather unusual maximal but also minimalistic way, the screen exudes a historical charm with a folky flair but appears modern at the same time. Each panel is 17.5"w by 70.2"h. For general information on the subject see reference: Chaekgeori the Power and Pleasure of Possessions in Korean Painted Screens...

A large Korean Buddhist painting on silk framed in wood with an acrylic shadow box. The type of the painting is known in Korean as Sinjung T'aenghwa (Literally translated as Scroll-s...

Anonymous. Korean, 17th century. Joseon period. Hanging scroll. Ink on paper. Seal: Shinso Dimensions: Scroll: H. 200 cm x W. 31 cm (79” x 12”) Image: H. 122 cm x W. 29.5 cm (48” x 11.5”) The grapevine came to China and then Korea from western Asia via the silk road trade routes. By the mid-Joseon period, it was one of the most popular subjects for Korean literati painters. Grapevines were painted as a singular subject or, less commonly, in combination with squirrels, which are associated with children due to their playful nature. Together, grapevines and squirrels embody wishes for abundant offspring and wealth. For the Korean literati artist the twisting vines, curling tendrils and round, plump grapes provided ample opportunity for expressive "brush play”. In this painting the artist has abstracted the scene and is seemingly unconcerned with discontinuities and proportion. Vines spring up from nowhere, grapes hang in random clusters and the squirrel’s head appears as if twisted backwards. For the vines and leaves we can feel a sense of speed in the brushstrokes, imparting a dynamic feel which is at once intense and animated. This contrasts dramatically with the countless tiny strokes of ink which realistically capture the texture of the squirrel’s fur...

Pair of traditional embroidered frame, given by a bride to her husband as part of her dowry during marriage in Korea's modern era. The embroidered mandarin ducks symbolize marital ha...

This authentic two-panel Korean screen is from the 20th Century and is highlighted with the design of two painted silk screen panels over a ...

A Korean folk Shamanism watercolor on textile matted with woven brocade and presented in a wood frame with an oriental style metal hanging hardware. The painting was estimated to be from early 20th century circa 1910-1930s. It depicts Guan Yu (160-220AD), a legendary Chinese warrior and general from Eastern Han Dynasty. Long worshiped in China as a deity, across all three major religions, Guan Gong...

An antique Korean folk painting of an old sage meditating among rocks under an ancient pine tree with a flying crane circa 19th century late Joseon period. The image was likely part of a larger scroll that depict of Mountain Spirit...

A Korean folk painting watercolor on linen (silk) with a cloth mat and walnut wood frame. The work is in the shamanistic style and depicts the Tao...

The rose, forever a symbol of romantic love is expressed multifariously by using mother of pearl, lacquer, gilt, and silver powder in this work. It delivers the delicate touches of a...

A large and striking ten-fold Korean floor screen of ink calligraphy in ancient Chinese seal script, beautifully matted with two color-way golden silk border, light wood frame and wh...

Wall Decor Handcrafted Mother of Pearl Chrysanthemum Painting on Wood Panel by Arijian.