Mandarin Duck Cabinet
Brooklyn Museum photograph
Object Label
Most household goods were stored in the women’s quarters in large cabinets and chests. These were typically the largest and most costly pieces of furniture in the home, and were given to the couple at the time of their wedding. The taller piece shown here is known as a “mandarin duck” cabinet because of the paired openings at the base. Mandarin ducks mate for life, so they are emblematic of the number two and of happy marriages. The red lacquer of the smaller cabinet, with its elaborate inlay of mother-of-pearl, indicates that it was made for a female member of the royal family.
Caption
Mandarin Duck Cabinet, early 20th century. Lacquer on wood, zelkova burl panels, brass fittings, 63 1/8 x 44 3/4 x 22 1/4 in. (160.3 x 113.7 x 56.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, George C. Brackett Fund, 34.530. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 34.530_color_corrected_SL1.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Title
Mandarin Duck Cabinet
Date
early 20th century
Dynasty
Joseon Dynasty
Geography
Place made: Korea
Medium
Lacquer on wood, zelkova burl panels, brass fittings
Classification
Dimensions
63 1/8 x 44 3/4 x 22 1/4 in. (160.3 x 113.7 x 56.5 cm)
Credit Line
George C. Brackett Fund
Accession Number
34.530
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
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