Asian Works of Art

Books and Scholars’ Accoutrements (Chaekgeori)
Ink and color on paper, four-panel floor screen, ebonized wood frame. 
Hidden seal to the bottom left corner of the first panel from left.

Chaekgeori (paintings of books and associated things) are Korean still-life paintings that flourished during the latter part of the Joseon period. These paintings often feature an array of books, scholarly implements, and decorative objects, symbolizing the Confucian ideals of knowledge and refinement. Characterized by using three-dimensional effects and reversed perspective—where distant objects appear larger than those in the foreground—chaekgeori compositions create a distinctive spatial illusion that flattens the pictorial surface. This unique treatment, combined with intricate decorative patterns, lends the paintings a highly graphic and ornamental quality. Unlike Western still-life traditions, chaekgeori did not strive for realism; rather, they served as visual expressions of cultural values, emphasizing the virtues of scholarship and intellectual pursuit. Typically displayed in studios and educational settings, these paintings reinforced the reverence for learning that was central to Joseon society.

This chaekgeori screen is significant, as a seal is bearing the painter’s name on the top shelf of the fourth panel from the right. During the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), court painters could not sign their names on their artworks, but Lee Taek-gyun playfully imprinted his name on a seal placed in the painting. Lee, a court painter during the nineteenth century, came from a family of court painters. The name he used before 1864 was Lee Eungrok, from 1864 to 1871, he used the name Lee Hyeongrok, after 1871, he changed his name to Lee Taekgyun.

For similar examples from the same artist, see a set of eight-panel floor screens in the collection of Asian Art Museum San Francisco, accession no. 1998.111; And a set of ten-panel floor screens offered in Christie's New York, March 23, 2011, Sale 2426 Japanese & Korean Art, lot 992, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art, accession no. 2011.37; And another set of ten-panel floor screens offered in Christie's New York, December 13, 2024, Sale 23872 Mica: The Collection of Mica Ertegun Part III, lot 1078, sold to Seoul Museum of Craft Art.