Korean Furniture

Traditional Korean furniture is easily recognized by its humble stature and use of time honored materials. With its size and distinctive materials, Korean furniture is in many ways antithetical to its European counterparts produced during the same period.

Most notably, Korean furniture is generally low lying, reflecting the long-established belief that objects taller than humans prohibit spirits from traveling freely. The design and humble stature of Korean furniture is also meant to convey the architectural, functional, and aesthetic qualities of customary Korean abodes known as hanoks. Traditional examples of Korean furniture have been referred to as miniatures of hanok for their interest in echoing the formal architectural qualities inherent to the homes.

The time-honored materials used in Korean furniture construction consist of red oak, lacquered wood, tortoise shell, and Zelkova and Paulownia wood. Small and portable dining tables known as sobans are a unique component of Korean furniture. Sobans were at one time so ubiquitous that a single household might have as many as fifty in their residence. Traditionally, diners would have their own individual soban. Styles of sobans differ markedly between various regions.

Quick Facts

• Artisans often used Paulwonia trees in the fabrication of furniture because of its dark coloration, light weight, and resistance to insects
• For millennia, many families planted a Paulwonia tree to celebrate the birth of a daughter. When she married, the tree was cut down and made into furniture for her new household
• Koreans conventionally spent much of their domestic time seated, which helps to explain the low height of the majority of their furniture