1912689

Small Coin Chest of Fine Korean Pine and Iron #1912689

Currency:USD Category:Antiques Start Price:160.00 USD Estimated At:0.00 USD
Small Coin Chest of Fine Korean Pine and Iron #1912689
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A TRULY UNIQUE AND RARE PIECE! DON'T MISS OUT! BID NOW!</em></td>
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Original and unrestored Shop Ton-kwe (Korean Coin Chests used by shop owners) like this fine 19th Century example are highly prized by collectors, as their purpose required that they be the most well constructed piece of furniture in a proprietor's shop, and because they are almost as rare as the larger coin chests that could be found in the homes of the rich. This is a fine example of a Ton-kwe made of a very fine Korean pine that would have to have grown for hundreds of years in a hilly, rocky area in order to produce the richly detailed grain that you see on this beautiful Coin Chest. Paper money did not exist in Yi Dynasty Korea, and the coins were of very small denominations. They had to be strung together in large quantities to have any worth, so a strong money box was obviously a necessity. We'd like to share with you a funny quote on Korean money by Mattie Ingold, an American missionary physician working in Chonju in 1898: "If Korean money were proportionately as great in value as it is in weight and clumsiness, the Koreans would be a very wealthy people." 16 x 32 x 14 inches, 41 x 8136 cm. Excellent Condition.
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<td>Reference
#: 0035</td>
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<tr><td>Condition:Excellent</td></tr>
<tr><td>Year:19th Century</td></tr>
<tr><td>Country:Korea</td></tr>





<tr><td>Title:Small Coin Chest of Fine Korean Pine and Iron</td></tr>



<tr><td>Location:New York, New York</td></tr>
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