Hanji (한지)

Briefly looking at the history of paper, Meng-Yeom(몽염) first developed paper in the Qin Dynasty of China( 진나라, 중국) , and the paper production technology improved by Cai Lun (채륜) in the Later Han Dynasty was introduced to the Korean Peninsular in 105 AD.

It is presumed that Hanji (한지) was already used in the Korean Peninsular before Chae Ryun improved paper.

Hanji (한지) has been widely recognized for its excellent quality since ancient times. Despite its subtle and soft color, it had the toughness not to tear easily, and it was thin and light, but it was well ventilated and absorbs moisture well, so it was suitable for writing and painting. 

It has excellent light-emitting power that makes even the strongest sunlight transparent.

Hanji is made from mulberry trees, oats (fixed pater), and mulberry trees, as well as hemp and grasses (bamboo, rice straw, and reeds).

Paper making process

• Mulberry harvest - November~ December cut the first year branches of mulberry trees low.
• In the process of boiling the collected paper mulberry, it usually takes about 7 hours to make a fire and steam the mulberry with steam.
• Black bark extract - Peel the bark from the boiled mulberry tree.
• White skin work - After soaking millipede in clear water for a day, the outer skin is skimmed to make white skin.
• Bleaching Work - To extract pure fiber from mulberry, add white skin to lye and boil for 4 to 5 hours.
• Tapping - The white skin that has undergone the bleaching operation is beaten with a wooden bar to separate the fibers of the white skin. It is one of the important process that influence the quality of paper.
• Put mulberry grass in a trough filled with water, beat it to make slime, and then filter out only the slime.
• The slime is put into a paper container with mulberry fibers and mixed to make paper.
• The paper that was taken out of the paper box with the foot frame is moved and stacked one by one.
• Press the stacked paper with a wooden stick to drain the water.
• Draining Work - Place the stone on the paper that has undergone material work and leave it for a day.
• Drying work - After drying the wet paper on a drying board heated with steam, it is removed