Hanji Unfurled: A Student’s Introduction to Korean Papermaking
Hanji is loosely defined as Korean handmade paper, a delicacy and craft that has been around for about 1500 years. The article below evaluates the many aspects of the craftsmanship of hanji, jiseung, and its overall versatility. Furthermore, through an attempted recreation of the process of its craft, I detail my first hand experience of trying to weave hanji into cords for jiseung. This craft has a deep history and in-depth creation process that has amazed me every day while researching it. Though it’s not a successful and accurate recreation, here is my introduction to the world of Korean paper weaving.
Introduction
For the final project, I had a couple of topics that swayed my interest. Hanji was one of the first topics that grabbed my attention the most. As an artist, I wanted to utilize the opportunity to involve research regarding Korean culture and history with my knowledge and practice as an artist. Along those lines, I’ve also put a good amount of research into paper making by recycling paper to make my own custom sketchbooks. When we learned briefly about hanji in the class coursework, it caught my attention for these reasons.
Going into the project, I’d hoped to make my own hanji and produce paper as a material to bring and share with the class. However, throughout this digital journal of sorts, you will see how my research took me from just learning about hanji for fleeting interest to discovering and learning to appreciate hanji as a unique cultural art form. My studies utilize a multitude of sources, but most of the basic knowledge and processes I learned regarding hanji as a craft come from Aimee Lee’s “Hanji Unfurled”. That being said, let’s get started!
Aimee Lee’s “Hanji Unfurled: One Journey into Korean Papermaking”
What is hanji?
In Aimee Lee’s “Hanji Unfurled”, she defines hanji as a type of Korean paper that is a handmade delicacy and craft that has been tracked back to the 1st century BCE - an estimation of 1500 years. The term ‘hanji’ is derived from the syllables ‘han’ and ‘ji’, which is directly translated to “Korean paper”. It is most commonly made with the inside bark of Mulberry trees, a common ingredient in most paper making, and the special addition of Hibiscus Meniot. This gives hanji the popular strength and durability it has in comparison to other forms of paper at the time of its creation.
What is the significance of hanji?
Hanji is made from “high-quality bast fiber” that allows the paper to have a somewhat silky, elegant, and lightweight finish while also having indescribable tenacity. The concept of hanji closely followed after Korea was introduced to paper products by China during Chinese command during the first century at Lelam. It was later taught to be manufactured by the Korean people as they developed the ability to create a fine quality in paper. At this time it became quite popularly known for its primary use in writing as well as a great many items of crafting such as fans, interior wall design, umbrellas, and more due to how strong it was in comparison to other papers.
The exact creator of the firm paper isn't particularly known, only that the creator(s) lived during the Three Kings period of Korea which lasted between 57 B.C. and 668 A.D. closer to the time when paper making craftsmanship had been invented by the Chinese people. In current times most hanji crafting is left to Korean paper mills who have practiced its craft for countless centuries since its introduction with carrying techniques that have introduced new qualities to the hanji paper that set it apart from others.
An example of one of the techniques is mentioned in Lee’s work where she discusses her trip to a Korean paper mill. She is present for the process of the paper making when she states the following. "Mr Shin performs yupmuljil, a side-to-side sheet formation technique. The green ends of the parting threads, or begae, are visible at the front of the vat." (Lee, 17) Just one of many potential methods of the paper making process.
How is hanji made?
There are many variations to the process of making hanji paper. It all depends on the user and the products they choose to use for that particular paper. In this paper I will be using the process described by Lee in her educational novel once more for reference to how the hanji making process works. As I do not have access to the materials nor expertise required to start from scratch, this evaluation and attempt is aside from the collection of the bark of the mulberry tree, shaving it down to thinner slices to bleach, and other intensive and authentic hanji making that is depicted here.
The process begins with the collection of a root mentioned in chapter five where Lee states that "Hwangchokgyu whose roots provide the mucilage crucial for Korean papermaking" (Lee, 57) are pounded to a fine pulp and then left in a large tub full of ice water before being strained multiple times. Once the solution from the water and the soaking roots is strained the mucilage left behind is meshed to what is called "dak pul" (Lee, 57) before it is laid into a large tub of water and fiber known as a vat. The mixture of the pulp water is then stirred with a large pole roughly while continuously adding more and more of the dak pul to the water as time goes on.
Setting down a drying surface for the sheet of paper to be bleached known as a bal, you are able to go in with a screen to submerge and form a large rectangle of the hanji paper. After that, the hanji is scooped up, strained and flipped down onto the bal. There is a series of flips and turns to flip the paper from the screen to soak into the bal and stick until it dries. As it dries, it proceeds to be pressed to maintain it's flat and clean texture. Once it is dry enough it is hung up to dry against a large sheet. This hanji-making process is repeated as needed to make authentic Korean paper.
“Jiseung lessons are like a full body workout that strains the fingers, hands, wrists, neck, back, and legs. Beginners tend to cut corners whenever possible, but these variations can easily compromise the integrity of the final piece. When I brought my slowly growing pieces to him each week, Na could show me exactly where I had loosened my tension or taken a short cut. But Na is a father at heart. Despite his insistence on quality, he reminded me to take breaks to avoid fatigue.”
Aimee Lee, Jiseung: A Journey into the Korean Art of Weaving Paper (2013)
What is jiseung?
Jiseung can be described as a handwoven craft utilizing hanji that is commonly used to make durable materials such as bags, cups, fans, and other accessories. According to an article online done by the same author Aimee Lee titled 'Jiseung: A Journey into the Korean Art of Weaving Paper' the definition of jiseung is stated as follows: by her following sentence. "Jang also taught me how to cord strips of hanji and weave them into gord-like pendants, a process that forms the backbone of another Korean craft, jiseung (paper weaving)" (Lee, 1) Over the years of Hanji's development in products, the Korean paper became popular with weaving due its waterproof nature. It began to be weaved into baskets, hats and other popular weaved items because of how study the paper was.
Findings and Reflections
As previously mentioned, I chose to research hanji under the pretense of wanting to be more knowledgeable about paper from an artist’s perspective. When first discovering the in-depth and hands-on experience that is creating hanji in the most authentic and direct way would be quite difficult with the resources and skill available to me. If I were to make my own hanji, I would prefer to do it through study under the right professional guidance and supervision—just like author Aimee Lee participated in. That being said, the findings that I describe in the following documented research is not an authentic hanji and jiseung creation process by any means. Please consult professionals or skilled craftsmen experienced with this craft for hands-on and accurate knowledge on the creation and handling of Korean paper crafts.
Handling Hanji
The findings of my research proved to be more daunting than I initially imagined. I found it very clear that the only way to obtain “authentic hanji” was to order it from a source that made it professionally. For the sake of the project, I wished to be as close to the original process to create a somewhat accurate representation of the craft. This part of the journey proved to be very interesting. Upon the first searches, it was to my surprise that there were a few locations in close proximity to me, let alone within the same state, where people practiced authentic creation of hanji. These places were mainly studio and small business level corporations. Rather than functioning as marketplaces, it appeared they were facilities dedicated to craft.
I also had to consider the financial limitations I had for this project. From what I could tell through research, many of the more authentic and high grade hanji were above my budget at base price without including shipping, if it were available. Luckily, there are retailers connected through third party shipping services as well. These are most fast production businesses such as Amazon or other retailers, but there was a good selection of companies related to or focused on Korean office materials, craft, and/or book making services. Through Amazon, I was able to purchase two packs of multicolored hanji for less than $40.
This material research led me to the conclusion that finding hanji paper marketed with the authentic material in mind is not as hard to find on a local level in America as you’d think. However, depending on your personal preference on how carefully and “authentically” made your paper is, that could be a much rarer and expensive commodity to find—note: still not impossible. I recognize that the hanji that I utilized for the rest of this project is not the best material for the purpose of jiseung and hanji weaving. The paper I purchased is light in material and thin enough to see through rather than durable and versatile. I kept this in mind going into the next process of my research.
This is the Hanji paper I ordered for the project. I got one in plain white (no unique or labelled color type) and one in light pink. You can access the link to this paper HERE.
Hands-On Jiseung Experimentation
I decided to call this section “hands-on experimentation” because it truly is an experiment. As we’ve discussed in the last section, the materials that I was able to obtain when hoping to make jiseung were not ideal or feasible in many ways. The paper I obtained was made for printing purposes primarily, which is clear through the packaging, thickness of the sheets, their size, and durability. The quality of the paper was truly unique and I don’t doubt the process as being “authentic hanji”. However, it proved to be very difficult to work with the paper in a weaving manner due to its texture, weight, and cut.
No matter how loosely you may define authenticity of the craft, in this experimentation I do NOT produce anything close to being authentic jiseung at all. I am a student who has only accessed knowledge through the articles, books, and research detailed here alongside some brainstorming, hope, and trial-and-error. I will discuss the findings and reflections I had while attempting to weave with the hanji, but considering I didn’t follow any direct instruction and essentially attempted to replicate the weaving from mirroring the references I had, the technique falls short of how to process actually should be. Despite being a production failure, I learned much about intricacies of the process of weaving as well as the importance of jiseung and hanji as a material and cultural medium.
Materials
I ordered the hanji used in my experimentation for $24 per pack on Amazon. You can find the direct shopping link to the material underneath the picture at the top of this section. I ordered two color-ways of the paper: white and light pink. When ordering it, I was going to attempt to make a two-toned jiseung fan, but with experimentation, I came to learn how difficult it was to make a single cord. For this reason, the trials will be held with only the plan hanji. However, despite their colors, I doubt the quality of paper for this purpose differs much.
The detailing on the paper straight out of the packaging is beautiful. The thickness of the paper feels like a weight somewhere between regular A4 printer paper and cardstock: not too thick, not too thin. The material felt sturdier than regular printer paper. Surprisingly though, the paper appeared very thin, as you could easily see through the paper when held up to a light souce. One face of the paper has a rougher texture while the other appears to be smooth and lack the same calligraphic decoration. The rough side is better suited for writing with ink. Below you can also tell that the ink’s effects on the hanji are slightly different than that of regular printer paper. Though a small difference, the ink feels more vibrant and writes smoother on the hanji.
The Set Up
I began the process of jiseung weaving by researching how these materials were manipulated to create different outcomes. For this I referred to the video by Aimee Lee with Na Seo Hwan.
From the get go, I can tell that the hanji Na uses are very long strips around 16 to 20 inches in length and two inches in width. The way he handles the paper is quick and skillful, but he appears to cross two strips of hanji in an X-formation using the top three or four inches of the strips. From there he twists and/or rolls the two strips together to form a tightly coiled and strongly woven cord.
It happens as quickly as described, as once the first twists are done at the top, Na uses his knees to anchor the paper before rubbing the strips together by positioning them between open palms and rubbing them together swiftly. He makes his way all the way down the length of the strips, continuously doing the motion of rubbing the strips between his palms. This process is shown in the clip for about 20 seconds in real time (not sped up or altered from what is shown or advised).
The swift motion is continued to the end of the cord, where extra twisting is done to ensure the cord doesn’t unravel after release. The end product is a woven cord that is durable and thick, yet relatively easy to bend. These cords are piled up next to Na and are later used to make jiseung of many forms such as teapots/cups or fans. After watching the process of weaving the cords, I decided to make my end goal: twisting and coiling a durable cord for jiseung.
Trial A
For my first trial, I decided to cut two strips along the long edge of the hanji I had. The paper I had was about five or so inches shorter than the strips that Na used in the video, so I compensated for that by making the strips with similar proportions and a narrower width to match the shorter length. The cuts appeared to be wobbly because of unsteady hands and scissors used to cut them. At this point I noted that the previous video didn’t show how the hanji was cut before the weaving. Some questions developed from this were as follows:
Are there traditional methods and/or materials used to cut hanji into strips of the same width and length used in jiseung weaving?
What does preparation for jiseung weaving commonly look like? What does it entail?
How does the preparation of materials affect the outcome of craft?
How does this lack of prior knowledge reflect the level of expertise of the audience?
After cutting the slips, I crossed them at the top as Na was shown to be doing when making his jiseung cords. It was not made clear how he started the cord after crossing the pieces. My first attempt was twisting the two strips together by pinching them at the middle and twisting. However, this proved to be difficult and resulted in a lot of ripping due to the width of the paper. As you can tell in the picture, the twists I made also seemed to be uneven. The folds were sporadic and clumsy, as the amount I moved down after each twist was not measured.
From this trial, I found it very difficult to make a cohesive twisting pattern with the pinch and twist method. I noted that the width of the strip seemed to make it even more difficult to twist the slips together. From this information, I began the next trial of weaving.
Trial B
For the next trial, I used slips of the same width and length as the last trial. However, before crossing the slips across each other, I folded them along the long edge in half. This made each strip skinnier and thicker. The width was narrow, but using the pinch and twist method was easier with the narrower width. The coiling still appeared wide, but was much tighter and cohesive than the first trial. Making thicker and narrower strips made it easier to twist the slips together.
This also occurred to me: it’s possible that the quality of the hanji I obtained was the inappropriate thickness for weaving a jiseung cord. Na’s hanji seemed to be more lightweight and malleable in the strips they were cut into. The hanji I purchased and used was tougher, with the rigidity of paper similar to a thin-style of cardstock. For this reason, I believe the thickness of the paper was a key denominator in why the weaving seemed prone to ripping and irregularities.
Trial C
For my last trial, I wanted to discover if twisting the individual slips of hanji prior to twisting them together would prove to be more durable using the paper I had. When twisting the individual slips, it seemed that the rigidity became thick and strong. There was definitely ripping as the twisting happened, but it was small and frequent rather than alarmingly large or extreme levels of ripping.
However, when crossing the strands together to twist both slips into one cord, it became difficult to keep each slip from unraveling. This made the pinch and twisting come out irregular and rough. The thickness of the cord was also very irregular and impractical. I didn’t have control over the paper as I did prior to the individual strands being twisted. With this trial, I learned that it’s pertinent to keep the hanji strips either simply folded or flat prior to twisting them into a cord. It aids with the weaver’s control over the distance between each fold and twist, making it pertinent for overall cord consistency.
Conclusion
Through the trial and error process of attempting to make a coiled hanji cord to be used for jiseung weaving, I believe the second trial proved to be the best. The second trial resulted in the best control and most visually pleasing results. However, it’s safe to say the criteria for being the best is heavily reliant on the fact I lacked the proper materials and formal expertise on the craft I was attempting to replicate.
That being said, my trial and error process cannot speak to the authentic make or process of crafting jiseung in specificity. However, I believe that even while attempting to replicate the cord making process, it’s clear that weaving for jiseung is much more versatile, difficult, and crafty than I imagined initially. It takes patience and a high level of hand-eye coordination. Also, even at the size of the paper, when that size of paper is between your fingers, it was very difficult to see what was going on up close. Jiseung weaving is an intricate and remarkably complex form of Korean craft. Its utilization and importance to early Korean society is slightly different from its reputation and usages now, but still holds cultural importance and an intensive hanji making process that is unique to its kind.
For those wanting to do more research into hanji making and jiseung, I highly recommend reading Aimee Lee’s book “Hanji Unfurled” and the articles she has published in relation to the craft. She has worked with many traditional hanji makers, studied the craft, and has published intricate and information resources specifically about the ins and outs of hanji as a craft. Also, if attempting to recreate hanji yourself, avoid utilizing this post as a step by step recipe for jiseung and hanji. This is a personal reflection and if looking for the best experience, find hanji experts and enthusiasts from qualified craftsmen in a studio setting.