Raw Materials of Hanji Used for Ancient Books

Oh-Kyu Lee; Seokju Kim; Sora Lee; Kwon-Heui Nam; Hui Sub Ahn; Hyung Won Lee

doi:10.7584/JKTAPPI.2026.6.58.3.19

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2026 Vol.58, Issue 3 Preview Page Next Page

Original Paper

Raw Materials of Hanji Used for Ancient Books 고문헌 책지에 사용된 한지 원료

30 June 2026. pp. 19-41

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Abstract

To identify the raw materials of Chaekji (Hanji for bookmaking) used to produce ancient Korean books, microscopic analysis was conducted on 99 paper specimens taken from metal or wooden movable-type and woodblock-printed books dating from the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties. The specimens were disintegrated into individual fibers and stained with Graff “C” stain. Fiber types were identified through morphological observation and color reactions. Plant fibers historically used as papermaking raw materials and modern handmade paper samples of known compositions were employed as reference controls for fiber identification. Comparative analysis of the 99 microscopic images against the reference materials revealed that 81 specimens consisted solely of Daknamu (Broussonetia × kazinoki Siebold) bast fibers, while the remaining 18 specimens either lacked Daknamu bast fibers or comprised mixed plant fibers. Among these, 10 specimens were identified as Gojeongji made from a mixture of Daknamu and rice-straw fibers; 2 specimens were bamboo paper (Jukji); 1 specimen was hemp paper (Maji); 1 specimen was Anpiji made from Wikstroemia trichotoma fibers; 1 specimen consisted of a mixture of W. trichotoma and rice-straw fibers; 1 specimen was a mixture of Daknamu and bamboo fibers; and 2 specimens contained a mixture of three fiber types: Daknamu,W. trichotoma, and rice-straw fibers. In this study, Chaeckji manufactured from the 11th to the 14th century using fibers other than Daknamu bast fibers were rarely observed. However, in the 15th century, numerous cases were observed in which rice straw, bamboo, and W. trichotoma fibers were used as substitutes for Daknamu bast fibers, coinciding with frequent large-scale state-sponsored book production projects. Although mixed-fiber papers continued to appear sporadically after the 16th century, their frequency decreased markedly compared with the 15th century. These observations suggest that the extensive use of substitutes for Daknamu bast fibers was primarily driven by the need to meet increasing demand for paper in the 15th century.

Keywords

Ancient books

Hanji

Chaeckji

microscopic analysis

papermaking materials

non-wood fibers

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Information

Publisher :Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
Publisher(Ko) :한국펄프종이공학회
Journal Title :Journal of Korea TAPPI
Journal Title(Ko) :펄프종이기술
Volume : 58
No :3
Pages :19-41
Received Date : 2026-04-13
Revised Date : 2026-06-01
Accepted Date : 2026-06-04
DOI :https://doi.org/10.7584/JKTAPPI.2026.6.58.3.19

Journal of Korea TAPPI ISSN:0253-3200(Print) 펄프종이기술

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