Weaving Together Past and Present: Wanch’o and Empirical Reconstruction in Korea
Photo courtesy of The Federation of Korean Cultural Centers
“Entirely handmade Ganghwado wanch’o products express the sincere and dedicated craftsmanship of their maker. It would be no exaggeration to say that I have invested my entire life into the making of sedge handicrafts. I cannot express the exhilaration that I experience whenever I create something out of only sedge material.”
-Yi Sang-jae, Master wanch’o artisan
What is wanch’o?
According to the Samguksagi (Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms), wanch’o, a type of sedge weaving craft, was being used as early as the Silla period (57 BCE – 935 CE). Sedge is a rush-like plant that can be commonly found in wet ground. In Korea, the waterlogged soil of rice paddies is perfect for sedge cultivation and sedge can be found in nearly every village throughout the peninsula. Wanch’o products were practical, everyday items that could be made from readily available materials and these items were prized possessions of all social classes. Every stage of wanch’o is completed by hand, though there are a few tools involved. Wanch’o products included mats, boxes, seat cushions, and even clothing items such as hats, shoes, and bags. Yi Sang-jae, a notable figure in contemporary wanch’o studies, is currently the only wanch’ojang master sedge weaver in South Korea and is the designated bearer of wanch’o as an Important National Intangible Cultural Heritage Item. Yi comes from a family of weavers and was considered a wanch’o expert from an early age. Although wanch’o products did enjoy long-standing and widespread popularity, they were eventually replaced by mass-produced products that could serve the same purpose at a lower price. However, Yi doubts that any machine could match the intricate craftsmanship that goes into the making of wanch’o products. [1]
Photos Courtesy of Korea Magazine
Why Sedge?
Wanch’o is known to have come from Gyodongdo Island in Ganghwa-gun County, which has unfavorable soil conditions for rice farming. Thus, sedge and reed plants are a key agricultural product for the community. With such and abundance of sedge available, sedge weaving became a popular craft in this part of the country. Historically, many members of this community make a living selling wanch’o products, such as artisan Yi Sang-Jae and his family.
Sedge is usually planted in late April, and harvested in late July or early August. Once the stalks are cut into strands, they are left for several weeks to dry. Then, they are soaked in water and left in the sun for five to six days. This process is repeated several times until the strands eventually turn white and develop a waxy sheen. At this point, the strands are ready for weaving. [2]
Scope of the Project
The goal of this rework project is twofold: to analyze the traditional and contemporary craft processes involved in wanch’o production, and, more generally, to critically examine reconstruction as method in the history of science in Korea. Drawing on information from contemporary and archival research, I attempt to reconstruct a circular wanch’o mat.
Initially, the project involved two phases. The first phase recreates the sedge harvesting and drying process, while the second phase focuses on creating the actual wanch’o product. Unfortunately, as part of the first phase of the project I left the processed sedge in the sun to dry. When I returned two weeks later to check the progress, I found that the sedge had been removed and disposed of by maintenance crews. However, I continued to conduct the second phase of the project using alternative materials, which will be discussed below.
Rework Process
The primary instructional source conducted for this project was a book titled Wanch’ojang (완초장(莞草匠)), which was published by the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage in 1999. This is a Korean language text with no English translation and is a comprehensive review of wanch’o, including its history, sedge cultivation processes, crafting tools, manufacturing processes, weaving patterns, and current practitioners. All English translations of this text are my own. Although this text is not necessarily historical, it was published as an official guide to wanch’o as an Important National Intangible Cultural Heritage Item. [3]
In addition to this official text, I have consulted several videos of Master Weaver Yi Sang-Jae producing wanch’o products and discussing his own production process. Because this weaving process requires a skilled hand and lots of technique developed over a long period of time, I relied on videos to supplement my instruction in ways that the text alone could not. Watching Yi actually go through the process is closer to the original master-artisan relationship than simply reading a textual description of the text accompanied by a few photographs.
Unable to weave with the sedge I attempted to process myself, I now had the issue of deciding what material to weave with. Although I did not have access to any pre-processed sedge with witch to weave, I had an idea of what this sedge felt and acted like based on the videos I had watched as well as my own tacit knowledge. Thus, I set out to obtain a variety of materials to work with and find out what best imitates sedge. Because sedge is a grass, I figured another weaving fiber such as rush or reed would make a good replacement. After a discussion with a few basket weaving hobbyists, it quickly became apparent that neither reed nor rush would be a good option, since both these materials are not flexible enough for the tightly woven wanch’o process. Based on their recommendations, I purchased three potential options: rolled paper, cotton yarn, and a waxed cotton cord.
Of these three materials, the waxed cotton cord was clearly the best option. The rolled paper had a similar flexibility/stiffness to sedge but the actual strands were too thick, thus unable to be easily and tightly woven. The yarn, however, was far too flexible, fibrous and difficult to handle. Because this weaving process happens without a loom, the strands need to have a certain degree of rigidity, while still being flexible enough to be tightly woven. The waxed cotton cord was the best option because of its slick texture, size, and slight rigidity. Ideally, the cord would have been more flat than round in order to better imitate the materiality of sedge, but I was unable to locate such cord.
Once I obtained the proper materials, I chose a pink cord for the warp and a beige cord for the weft. As a beginner, having two different colors allowed be to better visualize how the weaving process works and how the individual strands come together. Furthermore, multiple colors helps to avoid mixing up the warp and weft strands, especially as more warp strands are added and the pattern becomes more complex.
At this point, I began following the instructions from the text.
가늘게 다듬은 완초 4날을 반접어 정자형으로 엮어 날줄을 만든다. 그러면 총 8개 의 날줄이 생긴다. 이 날줄을 두겹씩, 즉 4날(두날엮기)로 하여 두 개의 씨줄로 엮 는다. 그래서 최초의 날수를 8개로 하여 시작한다.
Four thinly cute blades of sedge are folded in half and woven into a “T” shape. Then there are a total of eight strands. These strands are woven into two layers using the four blades (double-edged weaving). So we start with the first of the eight strands.
Neither the text nor the videos I consulted provide clear instructions for how to actually begin the weaving process. Although the text briefly describes the steps to get started, I found myself struggling with how to get from four to eight strands. Based on the videos, it seemed like Yi was folding the four strands in half to get to eight, as the instructions indicate. However, when I was going through this process myself and trying to figure out what this is supposed to look like in these beginning stages, I simply cut four strands in half to get eight individual strands, and then proceeded to start weaving with the eight individual strands. Once I started to weave the warp and the weft together, I realized that I had sixteen warp threads because I doubled the eight individual threads I had previously made from the original four. This was only the first of my mistakes.
날줄을 추가하면서 원의 지름을 넓혀가는데 날줄은 최초 8날에서 16, 32, 64, 128, 256날까지 증가하게 된다. 날줄 수의 증가는 항상 배수로 나아가는데 방석의 크기 가 커질수록 날줄의 수는 이보다 더 증가하게 된다.
As blades are added, the diameter of the circle is widened, and the blades increase from the first eight blades to 16, 32, 64, 128, and 256. The increase in the number of blades is always double, and as the size of the mat increases, the number of blades increases.
As demonstrated in the photographs, the center of my circular mat is overcrowded with the pink warp strands because I started with the incorrect number. However, as the circle’s diameter began to increase, I became quite proud of my work. I could see that my wanch’o product actually resembled the other circular mats I’ve seen and I became confident that I was on the right path with this rework project.
As the next direction mentions, the warp threads increase as the diameter of the circle increases. The weaver is supposed to add in warp strands every couple of rounds, doubling the number of warp in the circle. Thus, knowing that I have to increase the size of the mat, my next challenge was to figure out how these warp strands get added to the circle. This became my next mistake. The videos provided no information about how to add warp strands, and the shots showing Yi adding strands are from angles that don’t allow for a full visualization of the process.
I misinterpreted the process of doubling the strands as adding a single blade that has been folded in half, thus resulting in two strands being added to the circle each time. If my wanch’o product is closely inspected, the loops where the strands have been doubled over are somewhat visible. I now believe that the strands are added one at a time between existing strands, thus doubling the amount of strands the existed before the new ones were added.
“Final” Product
An additional issue that I struggled with was the tension in my hands while weaving. As a beginner, I did not have the tacit knowledge necessary to know whether or not my weaving was too tight or too loose. As I progressed with my circle I realized that the center was beginning to take on a dome shape rather than lay flat. I was able to solve this problem by adjusting my tension to be more consistent, and by laying the mat out on a flat surface while I wove instead of holding it in my hands and letting it naturally fall into a dome shape.
Despite nearly every text and video about wanch’o emphasizing the skill and patience required for the craft, I severely underestimated the amount of time the weaving would actually take. As an experienced knitter, crocheter, and cross-stitcher, I thought my skills would transfer well for wanch’o. And while some of the skills did transfer, such as steady hands and excellent fine motor skills, wanch’o is an entirely different craft which cannot be learned in a single sitting. Over the course of four days, I wove for a total of approximately fifteen hours, and the picture above is as far as I got. I am adding the remaining instructions at the end of this digital essay for those interested in the rest of the process.
Reflections and Discussion
Wanch’o, is a craft whose methods are not well codified via written word. Instead, it is passed down through generation of artisans and has persisted as a representative Korean handicraft throughout hundreds of years. Thus, my attempt to learn this craft via text is not the same methods that actual craftspeople would have used to learn the skill.
The nature of the text used for this rework project seems far more informational than instructional. That is, the text describes, step-by-step, how to make a wanch’o circular mat, yet does not provide the details necessary for people unfamiliar with the process to figure it out. Based on my own experiences conducting this rework project, I argue that this text was not intended to serve as a “do-it-yourself” guide for people wanting to learn the wanch’o craft, but instead is an informational piece for readers more generally interested in the craft and its process, but not actually in making.
Considering that Yi Sang-Jae came from a lineage of wanch’o artisans, it is likely that he learned this craft through some type of master-apprentice relationship. After attempting to learn this craft on my own, I now know decoding the written instructions and videos in order to actually make the product is far more difficult than just studying these materials and learning the different components of the production process. No matter how detailed the written instructions may be, this type of craft necessitates a live instructor. Of course, given modern technology we now have access to videos and tutorials to learn new skills. Although I could not locate any actual tutorials of how to make wanch’o crafts, even just being able to see the process in action helped me understand what the written instructions meant. Without the video aids, this project would have required much more trial and error and experimentation, a process I expect many historical craftspeople in Korea would have been familiar with.
Although I made several mistakes that affected the appearance of my final product, through the process of reconstruction I was able to test different methods based on a combination of visual aids and my own tacit knowledge. Prior to starting the project, once I discovered the text describing the weaving process, I thought I would have a relatively easy time figuring it out because the text is quite detailed when compared to many other East Asian historical craft texts. In my head I could go through all the steps. It was only once I had the strands in my hand that I realized I had no idea how to actually put these steps into practice.
Despite making several mistakes along the way, the actual weave of my wanch’o product is similar to that produced by the actual artisans when compared side by side.
Within culture of making and discovery in East Asia, reconstruction has been valued as a means of empirical investigation. Imagining myself in the position of an artisan, the necessity of reworking, prototyping, modeling, and general tinkering becomes obvious. Attempting to understand the detailed processes of any given product is nearly impossible without the hands-on experience provided by tinkering. In this case, “making” is truly “knowing,” and to separate the two would be to deny the importance of experimentation in empirical processes.
If we consider the historical significance of rework in Korea, I argue that early Korean scientists embodied the artisan, taking advantage of the existing craft cultures of reconstruction, prototyping, reverse engineering, and modeling. Through these traditional modes of experimentation, these artisan-scientists developed skills that later contributed to the Korean Modern.
Additional Video Resources
Remaining Instructions
For those curious about the rest of the instructions for completing a wanch’o mat, I have provided my translation below.
정확한 수치는 아니지만 128의 날줄이 256개의 날줄로 증가하기 전에 분홍색의 완 초로 장식을 한다. 그리고 분홍색에 다른색(하늘색)을 추가하면서 날줄을 하나씩 추 가하는데, 이때에 256개의 날줄이 되어 간격이 좁아지게 되면서 색감이 촘촘히 박 히게 된다.
Although not an exact number, the 128 blade is decorated with pink strands before increasing to 256 blades. To add a different color (sky blue) to pink, add a blade one by one, and the 256 strands become narrow and the color is densely embedded.
방석의 직경 크기가 어느 정도 되면 씨줄을 하나 더 잡아 3개의 씨줄로 돌려주는 데, 이것은 “삼오리친다”는 용어로 표현되는 과정이다. 완초공예품 제작과정중에 반 드시 포함되는 중요한 과정이다. 씨줄을 3개를 넣는 부분(삼오리를 치는 부분)은 소 품의 제작공정상 꺾이거나 접히는 부분에 해당된다. 그래서 꺾이는 부분을 표시하 고 꺾이는 부분이 튼튼하도록 씨줄을 추가하여서 돌려주는 것이다. 4개의 씨줄로 돌리는(사오리치기)과정이 동그리 제작과정에 나오지만 이것은 소품의 외형을 장식 하기 위한 것이다. 그래서 보통 꺾이거나 접히는 부분은 삼오리치기가 대부분이다.
When the diameter of the mat reaches a certain size, one more weft strand is picked up and returned to the three weft strands, which is a process expressed in the term “samori-chigi.” It is an important process that must be included in the production process of wanch’o crafts. The part where three weft strands are put (the part where the three weft strands are hit) corresponds to the part of the product that is bent or folded during the creation process. Therefore, the bent part is marked, and the weft strand is added and returned so that the bent part is strong. The four weft strand weaving process (saori-chigi) takes place in the circular production process, but this is to decorate the appearance of the products. So, most of the parts that are usually bent or folded are three strand weaving.
삼오리를 돌린 후 2개의 씨줄로 1개의 날줄을 엮어나가는데 1번을 돌려준후 손으로 삼오리 친 부분을 꺾어주고 방망이로 쳐서 꺾인 부분을 굳혀준다.
After turning the three strand weave, weave one weft blade with two warp strands, and after returning to the first one, bend the three strand weave with your hand and harden the bent part with a mallet.
방석의 뒷면은 삼오리친 부분을 기준으로 반대로 씨줄과 날줄을 돌려나가는데 삼오 리를 친 후 2번을 돌릴 때까지는 간격을 곱게 하기 위해 날줄 1개를 2개의 씨줄로 돌려나가다가 세 번째 돌릴 때부터 날줄 2개를 묶어서 씨줄을 돌려나간다. 방석의 뒷면을 날줄의 수가 앞면과 정반대 감소한다. 날줄의 수가 줄어들어야지 방석의 직 경이 좁아지기 때문이다. 256, 128, 64, 32, 16, 8날의 순서이다.
The back of the mat is reversed based on the three strand weave, and after hitting the three strand weave, one of the strands is returned to two to make the gap fine until it is turned twice, and from the third turn, two of the ropes are tied to turn the strand. The number of blades on the back of the mat decreases opposite to the front. This is because the diameter of the mat narrows only when the number of blades decreases. The order is 256, 128, 64, 32, 16, and 8.
날줄 8개를 남기면서 공간을 완전히 메워버리고 이 8개의 날줄 밑부분을 자른 후에 꼬챙이로 남은 부분을 밀어넣는다. 뒷면의 공간이 뜬부분이나 부풀어 오른 완초를 밀착시키기 위해 방망이로 쳐주며, 방석의 앞면은 방망이의 머리부분으로 밀어주면 서 왕골의 간격과 뜬 공간을 밀착시켜준다. 모든 과정이 끝이 난 것이다.
Fill up the space by leaving eight of the strands, then cut the eds of the eight strands and push the remaining parts in with a dowel. Hit the space on the back with a mallet in order to flatten the puffy wanch’o. The front of the mat is pushed to the head of the mallet to closely adhere the gap between wanch’o and the puffy space. The whole process is over.
Works Cited
[1] Lee, Hye-min. “Lee Sang-Jae: The Weft and Warp of Traditional Sedge, Rush Weaving.” July, 2018. http://www.kocis.go.kr/eng/webzine/201807/sub05.html.
[2] Lee, Min Young. “Yi Sang-Jae: Handicrafter of Sedge Masterpieces.” Koreana, Winter 2007, 47–51.
[3] National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage. Wanchojang (莞草匠). Kungnip Munhwajae Yonguso, 1999. https://docviewer.nanet.go.kr/reader/viewer.
