Pair of Hand-Carved Wooden Rice Cake Molds (Tteoksal / Dasik)

Story

For centuries, Korean families used these wooden molds to stamp wishes directly onto food for weddings and ancestral feasts. Eating a rice cake stamped with a fish was a literal way to ingest good fortune and academic success.

Maker / Origin

These molds were hand-carved by local village woodworkers or family members, rather than a commercial factory. Carvers utilized durable, fine-grained native hardwoods like pearwood, jujube, or birch, which could withstand repeated washing and the pressure of stamping dense rice dough.

Condition & Value

Both molds show wonderful signs of authentic age and domestic use, including a rich, naturally darkened patina and minor staining from cooking oils. There are no major splits or structural cracks, which is excellent for utilitarian woodenware of this age. This well-preserved, authentic wear enhances their value.