Brass Fish Lock

Like the sparkle of fish’s scales, this 19th-century fish lock from North Korea once perked up the façade of a lacquered chest or cabinet with a flash of golden brass. Demonstrating the aesthetic value placed on even the most everyday items, the handcrafted lock arches a fish into a gently curve, finely etched with piscine details. In Korean Buddhism, fish are revered as creatures thought to have their eyes open day and night, and thus make for watchful protectors of one's belongings.