‘Chaekgado’ or ‘chaekgeori’ designates still-life paintings that depict mostly books and other associated objects such as decorative bibelots, antiques, stationery items and flowers. This type of paintings were popularly produced in late Joseon, as they won the favor of royals and aristocrats. In the surviving Chaekgado from the Joseon period, rare or exotic objects of various sorts are almost always displayed alongside books. As Chaekgado mostly represent objects that existed actually, rather than imagined objects, the sundry items depicted in them have been an endless source of curiosity for researchers in many fields. Chaekgado are also invaluable sources of insights into the society and mores of late Joseon.

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