SILVER-INLAID IRON TOBACCO BOX AND COVER
KOREA, JOSEON DYNASTY, 19TH CENTURY
朝鮮王朝 鐵製銀入絲 福壽富貴煙草箱 of rectangular form, the cover decorated with a large stylistic longevity character in the central roundel, the straight sides further adorned with characters Fu (luck and wealth), Shou (longevity), Gui (nobility), all within foliage and key fret borders, the interior with a wooden box lined with tin leaf
15cm wide x 9.5cm x 10.6cm deep; 1410g
Smoking became prevalent during the late Joseon period, and led to the production of small boxes, such as this iron example with silver inlay, to hold tobacco leaves. A closely comparable example but smaller iron box with silver inlay, with flower and double-happiness character (囍) on the lid, is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number: 22.78.