Korean Book Shelf Etagere Late Joseon Dynasty

Known in Korean as Sabang Takja (Four-Direction Shelf), this cubic etagere consists of four tiers: three open shelves and the lower storage, which is further divided into a row of three small drawers and a bottom storage space with doors. With its simple and elegant form, this is an important piece of furniture for an affluent household and was used to display priced processions. Books, curios, porcelains and scholar objects would be showcased to the guest as a reflection of the culture of the owners. The current Sabang Takja was dated to the end of Joseon Dynasty (1890-1900s and the frame and the shelves were made from a hardwood (possibly paulownia or pear wood, but due to the lacquered surface that obscure the grains, it was not possible to tell what type exactly) and persimmon wood was used for the frontal panels of the three drawers and the pair of the small doors on the lower part. Yellow brass hardware was used for the drawer pulls and the decorative butterfly hinges and door latch. Copper alloy brackets were placed on the corner of the shelves. The persimmon wood showcases an eye-catching black grain, like an abstract painting. Since the tree was more common in the southern Korean peninsula, the piece was most likely from the south.
A similar sabang takja from Gyeonggi Province was in the collection of Weisman Art Musuem (1989.7.66), illustrated 125 on page 97 in "Traditional Korean Furniture" by Edward Reynolds Wright and Man Sill Pai.
Another example is Gu 3679 in the collection of National Museum of Korea.