Comb Chest (Jage Bitjeup)
Korean
Description
Comb chest (Jage bitjeup)
Korea, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910)
19th century
Lacquered wood with mother-of-pearl inlay
Gift of Bruce and Inta Hasenkamp and Museum
purchase made possible by Elder and Mrs. Sang-Yong
Nam, 2004/1.314
This comb case may have been a wedding gift for a new
bride. Although Joseon society was strictly Neo-Confucian
and favored a restrained aesthetic, women’s property could
be quite decorative. It was often adorned with motifs
believed to bring good luck, such as auspicious animals
from the folk tradition. Paired ducks (bottom right) have
long symbolized the happy union of a married couple in
Korea, and the bat-shaped handle signifies fertility.
Lacquerware inlaid with mother-of-pearl has been one
of the quintessential trademarks of Korean art since the
Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), though craftworks decorated
with inlaid mother-of-pearl first appeared during the
Unified Silla period (676–935).
Winter 2021 Gallery Rotation
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Although Joseon society was strictly Neo- Confucian and favored a restrained aesthetic, women’s property could be quite decorative. It is often adorned with motifs that were believed to bring good luck, such as auspicious animals, taken from the folk tradition. The motifs on this comb case symbolize the happy union of
a married couple and fecundity, the pairs of animals represent eternal happiness and the bat- shaped handle denotes fertility. Ducks
(bottom right) have long symbolized married couples in Korea and this comb case may have been a wedding gift for a new bride.
Lacquerware inlaid with mother-of-pearl has been one of the quintessential trademarks of Korean art since the Goryeo dynasty (918–1392), though craftworks decorated with inlaid mother- of-pearl rst appeared during the Uni ed Silla period (676–935).
Subject Matter:
These elegant pieces decorated with lacquer and mother-of-pearl inlays were part of the personal furniture of a wealthy Korean lady. Due to the strict visual codes in the Joseon period, lavish mother-of-pearl inlays were almost entirely limited to objects for women’s quarters.
Animals and plants associated with conjugal happiness and longevity often appear in pieces for women’s quarters. The handles are in the shape of bats, which were believed to be lucky. The Korean word for bat, pok, is a homonym of the word meaning happiness.
Physical Description:
This laquer comb chest with mother-of-pearl inlays has images of phoenixes and their babies, and deer on the top drawer, and tortoises and mandarin ducks on the bottom drawer, each in a pair. The handles are in the shape of bats.
This ornate comb case glitters with the overall decoration of mother-of-pearl inlay. This case was used by women to store toiletries, such as cosmetics, combs, and oiled paper for collecting hair that falls off when combing (toeballang), etc. Four drawers of the case are arranged in three rows. The uppermost tier and lowest tier have one drawer each. These are decorated with auspicious images: mandarin ducks, deer, and turtles. At the second row, two drawers are decorated with hexagon patterns. Techniques such as kkeuneumjil (cutting thin nacre threads and attaching them according to the design) and jureumjil (cutting nacre according to the design with fretsaws, scissors, knives, etc. and attaching the piece to the lacquered surface) were used to render the designs on the front of the drawers. The top, side and back panels are painted with black lacquer, while rails and stiles on the front are painted with red lacquer.
[Korean Collection, University of Michigan Museum of Art (2017) p. 265]
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