Pair of Chopsticks

918–1392

Pair of Chopsticks, 918–1392. Korea, Goryeo period (918-1392). Bronze; overall: 20.3 cm (8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Educational Purchase Fund 1924.141 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. In contrast to the Chinese and Japanese, Koreans still prefer metal chopsticks (stainless steel and brass) to wooden ones.