Korean Decorative Motifs - Traditional Furnitures

Furniture used in the Korean woman's quarters tended to feature colorful and vivid ornamentation with auspicious motifs. The favored motifs were phoenixes, cranes with clouds, a butterfly with a pair of fish, chrysanthemums, pines with bamboo, plum blossoms with bamboo, and peonies.
These motifs served aesthetic function and acted as carriers of auspicious messages. The symbolic features of traditional arts and crafts offer valuable insights into the customs of the Korean people and the beliefs that governed their everyday lives. Some symbols are originated from China but in the hands of Korean artists, they have taken on a distinct and uniquely Korean character.

In contrast, the man's quarters  had simple and modest designs, such as the "four gentlemen" plants (plum blossoms, orchids, chrysanthemums, and bamboo). the Seven Treasures (gold, silver, lapis, crystal, coral, agate, and pearl), carp, and bats.