Artwork Page for A Pair of Chopsticks

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A Pair of Chopsticks

청동 젓가락 [靑銅箸]

918–1392

Korea, Goryeo dynasty

(918–1392)
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Medium
bronze
Measurements
Overall: 26 cm (10 1/4 in.)
Credit Line
General Income Fund 1918.518
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Did You Know?

In contrast to the Chinese and Japanese, Koreans still prefer metal chopsticks (stainless steel and brass) to wooden ones.

Description

In Korea, chopsticks made of metal such as brass, silver, and gold were excavated from ancient tombs and ruins dated to the 6th century at the earliest. Burial goods often include utilitarian objects such as table wares and utensils because the dead were believed to need them in the afterlife.
A pair of bronze chopsticks features two slender, tapering rods. Their upper lengths display decorative stacked horizontal rings and rounded segments. The rod on the left exhibits a mottled light-green patina, while the right rod is dark charcoal-brown. Below these textured bands, smooth shafts descend vertically to fine points, both showing distinct surface patterns from age and corrosion.

A Pair of Chopsticks

918–1392

Korea, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392)

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