Vintage 1950s Korean Mother-of-Pearl Lacquer Smoking Set w/Unopened White Sheep Cigarettes, Brass Ashtray, 1958 Matches; Office of Monopoly Era

Up for sale is an incredibly rare and excellently preserved mid-20th century Korean lacquerware smoking set. This complete presentation set dates back to the 1950s and features stunning, intricate mother-of-pearl (Najeonchilgi) inlay work on a traditional red lacquer wooden box, and it retains all of its original interior components. The centerpiece of the interior is an exceptionally rare, completely unopened, and still plastic sealed pack of "White Sheep" (Baekyang) cigarettes. The pack features Korean characters on one side and the English stamp "Office of Monopoly Korea" on the other side, denoting the historic state-run Jeonmaecheong era before privatization of the Korean tobacco industry. The set also includes a solid brass ashtray and a pack of the original wooden matches printed with the year 1958 and what I believe is the Jan.-June 1958 calendar on the back of the matchbox. This set also includes the original cardboard box that the lacquer box came in. This cardboard box shows wear, some tears (especially along the corners of the box and its lid) and a few stains, and the paper label on the pack of matches has some wrinkling, but otherwise the lacquer box and its contents are in beautiful condition. The cardboard box measures about 11" long x about 6.5" wide x about 2 3/8" tall; the lacquer box measures about 10.5" long x about 5.75" wide x about 2 1/8" tall. The entire set weighs about 1 lb. 14 oz. This box was an official diplomatic gift to my late uncle, who was in Korea in the 1950s after helping to supervise the air occupation of Japan after World War II. A very rare and historic gift for the serious collector of vintage tobacciana or for the collector of fine vintage Asian art and lacquerware!