• Journal of the Korea Furniture Society
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.156-182
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• 2013

In this paper, the origin, development and features of a Korean folding stool are studied. A folding stool is a piece of collapsible seating furniture with its legs crossed in the form of the letter "X" and no back attached. In China, the folding stool was introduced from the West around the second century A.D. The folding stool of Korea was influenced by that of China. It is known from the records that the king used the folding stool from the Three Kingdom period. During the Koryo period, Chosun period and the modern period, the folding stool was used to show the authority of the king and nobleman. The folding stool was also used at outside places such as a hunting ground, a ceremonial walk, a battlefield, a garden etc. due to its portableness. Buddha worship policy of Koryo period supported the usage of the folding stool for shanding (禪定) by ascetics of Buddhist temple, or aristocrats. In a contemporary period, the folding stool is continuously produced and used as one kind of a folding chair due to its functionality, movability, storability and efficient space utilization. This research will serve as a momentum to investigate the origin and development of the East Asian seating furniture culture, and contribute to the further study and manufacturing of Korean seating furniture.

• Journal of the Korea Furniture Society
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.139-147
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• 2014

This paper researched the woodcraft in the Baekje kingdom since the study on the Baekje furniture has not been established due to the absence of the artifacts or remains related to the furniture in the Baekje period. Accordingly, the study focused on the excavated Baekje wooden products and wood crafts on the basis of ancient documents and investigated the ancient documents supposedly related to the Baekje furniture: The Chronicles of the Three States and Japan Scribe. As the result of the study, it could be summarized as follows. First of all, the woodcraft materials were wood, whagak, ivory, silver, gold and they were domestic or imported. Secondly, the woodcraft was finished naturally or lacquered with black or red color or varnishing with lacquer. Thirdly, the kinds of furniture used in the Baekje were a desk, a small portable dinning table, a table and folding stool. Even though there has been no heritage of the Baekje furniture and woodcraft and it is difficult to explain the characteristics or give an example of the Baekje furniture in detail, this study seems to be significant now that it researched the documents and related artifacts or remains which could give some hints or hypothesis of the furniture and woodcraft in the Baekje. What is more, there have been no sound studies on the Baekje furniture.