A pair of Korean mother of pearl-inlaid wood chests

A pair of Korean mother of pearl-inlaid lacquered wood chests 19th Century

Each chest with shaped metal brackets along the edges, a pair of metal bail handles at the sides, the chests fronted with inlaid hexagonal "tortoise" patterns, centered by two doors with hexilobe metal mounts, both doors of each cabinet decorated with inlaid pavilion scenes and inscriptions in Chinese script, the interior with two additional sliding wood doors, both chests with later applied D-form base supports (2).

(H: 17 1/2, W: 30 1/2, D: 14 1/4 in. (without applied stands))

Provenance: Mr. Owen Nickerson Denny (1838-1900), Consul General to China (1877-1884), and advisor to the Korean court (circa 1885-1890), said to have been presented to Denny by the Empress of China.
J.D de Vries, New York
Mr. H. L. Simmons, New York, acquired from the above, February 9, 1939
Thence by descent to the present owner

NOTE: While provenance in 1939 was said to have been a gift to Denny from the Empress of China, as the chests are Korean and he was an advisor to the Korean Emperor circa 1885-1890, these are more likely to have been acquired or received as a gift during his Korean sojourn. For another inlaid example of this form, see Michael C. Hughes, "An Important Collection of Chinese, Korean and Ryukyuan Lacquer", Hong Kong, 2006, p. 89, no 72. For a pair of inlaid stacked chests of similar form in the collection of the Koryo University Museum, see Edward Reynolds Wright and Man Sill Pai, "Korean Furniture, Elegance and Tradition", Japan, 1986, p. 63, no 45.