HANJI
I recently watched Mr. Sunshine, an extraordinary mythic saga that took place during Korea's Joseon period (1392-1910). This was a time and place I knew nothing about. The episodes were so poetically filmed. Every scene was worth its weight in gold.
One of the elements that stood out for me were the paper walls. This is a common architectural motif in many Asian countries. Admittedly, I know very little about it. So, I did some research and discovered some interesting things about hanji:
It was originally handmade in ancient Korea from
mulberry trees and became valuable for writing purposes as well as
building materials. Historical experts note that it was known for its whiteness,
texture, and strength.
According to Ancient
History Encyclopedia, paper was introduced to Korea from China where it uickly
became an important material. With calligraphy a highly prized art form
among scholars, done on this paper was a boon because it was both durable and long lasting.
The Golden Age
During its golden age
_10th-14th century), hanji was also used for historical
documents, and medical records, and Buddhist texts.
In the Joseon period it flourished as an industry. In daily life hanji was used in books, household items, fans, screens, and tobacco pouches. High demand led hanji makers to mix mulberry with pine bark fibers, rice straw and bamboo. This gave rise to different shades of color.
Although it was overshadowed by the
West’s mass production of paper products in the late 1800’s, it still enjoys
variety of uses today.
Harvested from
mulberry trees November through February, it still requires a six to eight step
process of soaking to remove outer bark, seasoning with rice husks and other
materials, mixing with plant sap, rolling out into sheets, and drying.
Along with the
earlier uses, it now serves as a basic art medium for paper sculptures and lamp
shades as well as collage and book making.
Related References
Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Seoul-Korean-Hangul-Insadong-Papers.jpg
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