본문 바로가기

Inside

Hanji Becomes International Restoration Material

By Ahn Ji-yoon

“Paper lasts 1,000 years and silk lasts 500.” This old saying emphasizes the quality of traditional Korean paper, or hanji, which is known for its durability and strength. Made with hanji, the oldest known woodblock print in the world, Mugujeonggwang daedaranigyeong (Great Dharani Sutra of Immaculate and Pure Light), has withstood the rigors of time for more than 1,200 years and remains in good condition. Eight of the thirteen Korean entries on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register are books or documents crafted using hanji.

Hanji Qualifies as a Material for Heritage Restoration

Hanji is applied as a reinforcement treatment for Nanjung ilgi
(The War Diaries of Admiral Yi Sun-sin), one of Korea’s Memory
of the World entries

In Korea, hanji is employed in diverse artistic fields including painting, calligraphy, crafts, and architecture. In addition, it is also used in the restoration and conservation of heritage. The boundaries of hanji’s use in heritage conservation are now extending beyond Korean soil. Recently, hanji became recognized as an approved material for heritage restoration in Italy. On December 15, 2016 the Central Institute for the Restoration and Conservation of Archive and Book Heritage (ICRCPAL), an Italian research institute, held a certification ceremony for hanji at its headquarters in Milan officially recognizing two types of traditional Korean paper as a suitable material for the conservation of European documentary heritage. Both of the two certified types of paper were made at the Sin Hyeon-se Traditional Korean Paper Workshop in Uiryeong, Gyeongsangnamdo Province. They are officially known as Uiryeong Sinhyeonse Traditional Hanji 1 and 2.

The restored Chartula of St. Francis of Assisi



This is the first certification of hanji as a restoration material by an overseas organization. The recognition is especially meaningful when considering that the ICRCPAL is a leading research institute in Italy and a globally recognized authority in the field of paper heritage conservation. During the process of testing the qualities of hanji, the ICRCPAL discovered its superb attributes and has already adopted it for the restoration of five important Italian documents, including the Chartula of St. Francis of Assisi and the Rossano Gospels.

Globalization Endeavors

In Europe, Japanese washi has long been considered the definitive Asian paper and is widely used in the restoration of documentary heritage. The lofty reputation enjoyed by washi in Europe can be explained, at least partly if not totally, by Japan’s proactive awareness-raising efforts in the generous provision of washi to Italy for document restoration after the 1966 Flood of the Arno in Florence. Compared to Japanese traditional paper, Korean hanji possesses a low level of recognition and usage overseas, despite its excellent qualities. The domestic market for traditional Korean paper has also been contracting in the wake of a series of challenges, such as the aging of hanjimaking practitioners, a lack of future craftsmen, and declining demand and public interest. There exist only a few hanji workshops in Korea that still practice traditional methods.

To imbue a new dose of vitality into the hanji market and to make its qualities better known overseas, the Hanji in Europe project was launched in 2014. As a shared Korean-Italian research undertaking implemented by Korea’s National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, the Korean Embassy in Italy, and the ICRCPAL, it was intended to promote hanji in Europe as a heritage restoration material. The first fruit of this cooperative enterprise was reaped in the form of the ICRCPAL’s recognition of hanji as appropriate for the restoration of European documents and books in December of last year. In the lead-up to the certification of hanji, an academic symposium on the paper was held in Korea in July 2016. The presentations on the use of hanji for the restoration of a drawing from the Vatican Museums and of a globe housed at a museum dedicated to Pope John XXIII drew particular attention.

Notable Attributes of Hanji

Master Sin Hyeon-se making hanji

Certain characteristics set hanji apart from other types of paper. First of all, it is made from long fibers of the paper mulberry tree, a plant species native to Korea. It therefore exhibits a strong inter-fiber connection and a resulting resistance to tearing. Another factor behind the superb strength of hanji is the traditional papermaking method of oebal tteugi which allows component fibers to accumulate in multiple orientations. Hanji also displays a nearly neutral pH, which is advantageous for long-lasting conservation. In addition, in the final step in the traditional papermaking process a surface treatment technique called dochim is applied in which the surface of the finished sheets is pounded to compact the fibers and lessen ink bleed.

These attributes make hanji an ideal material for heritage conservation and restoration. It makes an excellent reinforcement or backing paper for books, documents, and paintings and can be employed not only for the restoration of archaic documentary heritage, but also for modern works. Hanji shows far greater durability and strength than modern pulp-based papers.

Seungjeongwon ilgi (The Diaries of the Royal Secretariat),
one of Korea’s Memory of the World entries made of hanji

The ICRCPAL’s recognition of hanji heralded its official entrance into the European market for heritage restoration materials. In Europe, only materials that have passed through a rigorous verification process can be employed in restoration, as evidenced by the small number of workshops in Italy that qualify for the provision of paper for the conservation of books and documents. Currently, two more kinds of traditional Korean paper are undergoing the verification process at the ICRCPAL. The superlative qualities of hanji will hopefully become better known worldwide and can soon be adopted for heritage restoration across Europe.

BACK TO LIST