Black and Tabby Cat Korean Drawing Glass Dome Paperweight by Sang-Byeok 3W

Bye on Sang-byeok was a painter fro the late Korean Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). He worked as a portrait painter at the court of King Yeongjo and later as Hyeongam, the magistrate of a small province. Alongside portraits, Bye on also painted beautiful, realistic animal scenes primarily of cats and chickens. The delicate brushwork of the Guksu (master artist) was already legendary during his lifetime and the people nicknamed him Bye on Goyang (Bye on Cat) and Bye on Dak (Bye on rooster). In Korean culture cats offer protection from evil spirits.