Armrest

This is an armrest used for resting the arms while leaning to sit in a comfortable position. It was also called uichim, hyeopsik, or ogwe. The armrest was made of wood, applied with lacquer, and sometimes carved or inlaid with mother-of-pearl. Identical top and bottom boards were connected with openwork panels, twisted pillars, or a stationery chest with drawers. The armrest shown here has identical, oval-shaped top and bottom boards with wider ends and a concave middle. The top and bottom boards were connected with two engraved side panels at either end and a twisted pillar at the center. The side panels were decorated with an openwork arabesque pattern, a flower motif at the center, while the pillar was carved in the shape of four twisted stems with a lotus bud inside.