By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter
Long ago in China, engraving cloud shapes onto furniture was an exclusive privilege enjoyed by high ranking officials.
But with the onset of the 1960s-70s Cultural Revolution, the elite tried to conceal their status by painting green over the symbolic cloud engravings. In the aftermath of the revolutions, such furniture got to wear another coat of paint, red, a shade preferred in China for meaning good fortune.
It was by chance, during a restoration process, that a local antique dealer discovered the beauty and history of cloud motifs that were long hidden under the layers of red and green.
``When you buy antique furniture you are not simply buying a piece of wood. Antique furniture has timeless charms that modern furniture can never possess,'' said Ko Su-nam, president of Kojeon Antique in Yongin.
Instead of heading to a museum for a whiff of the past, visitors can admire ``living'' relics with a utilitarian benefits at an antique furniture exhibition, ongoing through Thursday at Hallasan Hall, Seoul Club, Namsan.
A red and black medicine cabinet with a coat of shiny lacquer makes for a bold statement piece in the living room. Wooden lattice furniture, with the addition of crisp white cushions, can become a unique sofa. Old wooden chests can add a touch of class to mundane spaces. Tibetan metal jewelry transform into unique decorative centerpieces.
Seoul Club is located in Jangchung-dong, downtown Seoul. It's a 15-minute walk from exit 6 of Dongguk University Station on subway line 3. Call (02) 2238-7666.
Kojeon Antique was founded in 1987 in Itaewon as a Korean antique furniture shop, catering to the local foreign community. By 1997 it expanded its business to include pan-Asian pieces, particularly from Mainland China.
Two years ago, in time for its 20th anniversary, the antique shop was reborn as a museum-scale venue in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. Visitors will be able to see antique furniture from China, Thailand, India, Korea and Japan, among other Asian countries. Pieces are arranged thematically, for the bedroom, living room, dining room, study room and outdoors, such as stone statues.
The shop also rents out furniture for foreigners residing in Korea for a short period of time. It also provides professional repair services for antique furniture and accepts customized orders for reproductions at the shop's factory based in China.
Visit www.kojeonantique.co.kr for more information.