Somokjang refers to the skill of making wooden doors/windows, wooden vessels or wooden furniture like wardrobes, chests, dressing tables or desks, or to an artisan with such a skill. The name Somokjang was first used during the Goryeo Period (877 – 1394). Until the early Joseon Period (1392 – 1910), wooden furniture was chiefly made for the people of the royal court and the noble class, but toward the late Joseon Period, it came to be used widely even by commoners. Wood furniture-making artisans use traditional woodworking techniques, striving to preserve the natural beauty of the wood with its patterns.