During the Confucian dominated Choson dynasty, folding screens showing books and objects related to scholarly pursuits became popular among Korea's educated elite, as well as among those who aspired to that social class. As with this example, they typically featured stacks of bound books and the "four treasures of the scholar's studio" (brush, paper, inkstone and inksticks). Artists also depicted rare objects that reflected the owner's interest in antiquities, including bronze vessels and ceramics, and interspersed these with auspicious plants and fruits.

Ch'aekkori screens are admired for their uniquely Korean approach to pictorial design. Choson artists creatively schematized form and altered viewpoints and perspectives for dramatic, decorative impact.