고려시대 가구재료 연구

A Study on the Material of Furniture in Goryeo

This paper studied the materials of the furniture which the noble men used in Goryeo, based on the furniture material category of solid wood furniture, lacquerware inlaid with mother-of-pearl and hardware. As for the solid wood furniture, the wood and furniture types are inferred based on the documents. The trees used for the wood furniture were zelkova, korean willow, pine, royal paulownia, maidenhair tree, korean pine, chinese juniper and elm. The furniture types were table, chair, wooden bench, small portable table, writing table, and folding screen. As to the types of lacquerware inlaid with mother-of-pearl, most of them were hams with top, which were made of abalone shells. The features of the lacquerware inlaid with mother-of-pearl were in detail and elaborate like the pattern of the full bloomed chrysan-themum. Writing tables were also made of lacquerware as pieces of furniture. Distinctively, the mother-of-pearl furniture material was popular enough to be used even in a horse saddle. Regarding the metal feldspar used as both a practical use and decoration, there are drop handle, hinge, the front basis, and lock seen in the artifacts, which were made of cast iron, bronze, and brass. Their manufacture techniques were eojamoon, bratticing and sheet metal. Through this study of the furniture materials used in Goryeo, it seems that Goryeo furniture focused on the functions rather than on the decorations, and in turn the forms were simple and basic. The technique of mother-of-pearl, a bit elaborate one, was used in the props furniture like kitchen wares, hams, or writing talbes. Probably, the solid wood is inferred to be used in a low wood-en bench, a chair, and a table based on the documents.