한국국제교류재단

Crafts bloom in places where there is an abundance of high-quality materials and embody a region’s local identity, culture, and history. In recent years, the rising interest in “locality” across the world has cast fresh light on crafts that are rooted in particular regions.

The Encyclopedia of Women’s Daily Life (Gyuhap chongseo), written by Yi Bingheogak in the early 19th century, contains helpful information on housekeeping. A section of the book on famous regional craft products across the nation is a precious historical resource providing insight into the tastes of her contemporaries. Among the locales mentioned, some fell by the wayside during Korea’s modernization, but many retain their reputation to this day.

Handicraft traditions are invariably rooted in a particular region. As people settled down and built communities, they made necessary household items and shared them with others; in the process, they honed their skills and gained greater expertise. In traditional societies, products were generally made with materials that were easily obtained in the surrounding environment. Some prominent examples are f lower-patterned woven mats from Ganghwa Island, ramie from the Hansan region, bamboo ware from Damyang County, and mother-of-pearl lacquerware from Tongyeong. Craft masterpieces are usually associated with the areas where the materials are sourced, and handicrafts recognized as outstanding works of art are often mentioned in one breath with the regions where the materials are produced.

Geographical Advantage

Yugi, or brassware, is particularly useful in the winter months as it can keep food warm for a long time. A brass bowl of rice placed on a heated ondol floor and covered with a blanket is too hot to touch even after a few hours. Valued for its durability and golden luster, brassware came into wide use from the 18th century, even among commoners, and the production skills spread nationwide. The two regions most noted for high-quality brassware are Anseong in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, and Napchong in North Pyongan Province, North Korea, which both functioned as key distribution hubs on the way to the capital.

Located close to Seoul, Anseong built its reputation by supplying brassware to noble families in the capital. Anseong yugi is made by pouring molten brass into a mold. The Korean idiom anseong matchum, referring to the perfect solution for a particular situation or condition, is derived from the merits of Anseong brassware, which is tailor-made for customer needs and supplied without a glitch.

Napchong brassware is produced with the hand forging technique called bangjja. Artisans stand in a circle and with hammers of varied sizes strike heated metal on an anvil to shape it. Handling the red hot metal takes great skill, and those involved develop strong bonds and share great pride in their work. Musical instruments like the jing (large gong) and the kkwaenggwari (small gong) must be made with the bangjja technique to produce the right sound. The work is usually done during the quiet of the night to ensure better sound quality.

Namwon in North Jeolla Province, where there is a plentiful supply of wood from Mt. Jiri, is known for its woodcraft. Here, wooden wares are carved on a lathe, a machine tool on which the workpiece is rotated. This is an effective way of making tableware and utensils for ancestral rites as well as bowls for washing rice. The lathe is featured in Joseon Dynasty genre paintings that offer a glimpse of traditional woodwork. In Namwon, traditional lathe techniques have been passed down to the present.

In regions that are famous for a particular handicraft tradition, master artisans honed their skills as they both competed and collaborated with one another. Their craft was passed down from generation to generation through apprentices, and Korea’s intangible cultural heritage has been preserved through this training system. In 1962, the government enacted the Cultural Heritage Protection Act, providing a policy framework for the preservation of intangible skills and practices.

Revitalizing the Rural Ecosystem
The “locality” of crafts takes on new meaning in contemporary times. Since the modern era, culture has flourished mostly in urban areas, while rural regions are on the path of decline. Locality, meaning “local or regional character,” has recently emerged as a subject of discourse as the decline of rural areas accelerates. At such a time, fresh light has been cast on crafts as an effective means of revitalizing rural areas and ensuring their future. This is a phenomenon not confined to Korea but unfolding across the world. While young creators can draw inspiration from local crafts, local artisans can seek new paths by reinterpreting their expertise and skills.

Expertly produced handicrafts can be an alternative to goods that are mass-produced and consumed, and a solution to the ensuing problems in contemporary society. Growing interest among the younger generation in cultural content with a unique local flavor can help revive local crafts. In turn, answers to reviving local areas may be found in the expertise of skilled artisans and traditional craft practices.