Mother-of-Pearl Comb Case with Ten Longevity Symbols
Joseon dynasty 19th Century
Height 34.6cm / Width 30.0cm / Depth 29.8cm

Married and unmarried women of the noble birth needed a comb case with multiple layers of drawers to put in cosmetics, combs, pins for parting hair and cleaning combs, and ornamental hairpins. At the bottom was a long drawer decorated with the designs inscribed with clouds, the sun and turtles that symbolize longevity, also with the designs of mandarin ducks and lotuses representing the matrimonial love and prosperity of posterity, all of which well expressed what women longed for.