Hanji

Hanji is the name of the handmade paper produced in ancient Korea from the 1st century BCE. Made from mulberry trees, its exceptional quality made it a successful export, and it was widely used not only for writing but also for interior walls and everyday objects, such as fans and umbrellas. Hanji, famed throughout Asia for its whiteness, texture, and strength, is still made today in specialized Korean workshops.

Initially Korean paper was made using hemp fiber, but the highest quality hanji was, for many centuries, made only from the pith of mulberry trees (tak in Korean, Latin: Broussonetia papyrifera). The toughness of hanji meant that it was ideally suited for use in printing presses that used blocks made from magnolia wood, which had been soaked and boiled in saltwater and then dried for several years before use. Each block was 24x4x64cm and carried 23 lines of vertical text on each side. These were then covered in ink and paper was pressed against them. The resilience of hanji was especially useful from the 12th century CE when printing was done using heavier moveable metal type made of bronze, a Korean invention.

In the Joseon Period (from the 15th century CE), such was the demand for hanji, that Sejong the Great (r. 1418 - 1450 CE) permitted other plant materials to be used in its manufacture, especially bamboo. The paper was made in specialized workshops in the capital and the five provincial capitals. The hanji which was produced for state use was supervised by a government agency, the Chonjo-chang.

World History Encyclopedia. Adaptation.

Hanji

Hanji is the name of the handmade paper produced in ancient Korea from the 1st century BCE. Made from mulberry trees, its exceptional quality made it a successful export, and it was widely used not only for writing but also for interior walls and everyday objects, such as fans and umbrellas. Hanji, famed throughout Asia for its whiteness, texture, and strength, is still made today in specialized Korean workshops.

Initially Korean paper was made using hemp fiber, but the highest quality hanji was, for many centuries, made only from the pith of mulberry trees (tak in Korean, Latin: Broussonetia papyrifera). The toughness of hanji meant that it was ideally suited for use in printing presses that used blocks made from magnolia wood, which had been soaked and boiled in saltwater and then dried for several years before use. Each block was 24x4x64cm and carried 23 lines of vertical text on each side. These were then covered in ink and paper was pressed against them. The resilience of hanji was especially useful from the 12th century CE when printing was done using heavier moveable metal type made of bronze, a Korean invention.

In the Joseon Period (from the 15th century CE), such was the demand for hanji, that Sejong the Great (r. 1418 - 1450 CE) permitted other plant materials to be used in its manufacture, especially bamboo. The paper was made in specialized workshops in the capital and the five provincial capitals. The hanji which was produced for state use was supervised by a government agency, the Chonjo-chang.

World History Encyclopedia. Adaptation.