Korean Traditional Textile for Summer, Mosi (fine ramie)

Weaving of Mosi(fine ramie) in Hansan region

UNESCO Heritage in Korea


Korea.net (www.korea.net)
Korean Culture and Information Service
Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

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Weaving of Mosi in Hansan is transmitted by middle-aged women in the township located in South Chungcheong Province, Republic of Korea. The region boasts fertile land and sea winds that allow ramie plants to thrive. Weaving ramie cloth involves a number of processes, including harvesting, boiling and bleaching ramie plants, spinning yarn out of ramie fibre, and weaving it on a traditional loom. Ramie cloth is comfortable in hot summer weather and is used to produce a variety of clothing from dress suits and military uniforms to mourning garments. The whiteness of the bleached ramie fabric, as well as its refined quality and neatness, makes it suitable for high-end clothing as well as for clothing for ordinary people. Weaving of Mosi traditionally takes place in the form of women-led family operations in which mothers transmit techniques and experience to their daughters or daughters-in-law.

The tradition also binds the community together with neighbours gathered and working in a designated section of the town. At present, around 500 people in the province are engaged in the diverse activities of weaving fine ramie.

from Korea.net /

Hansan Mosi Jiaji (한산모시짜기 / Ramie Weaving of Hansan)

Ramie fabric is called jeopo or jeochi and made of bark.
Given that the Unified Silla sent ramie cloth to the Chinese Tang Dynasty in the times of King Gyeongmun, it seemed to be used as exports.
Hansan ramie fabric has higher quality than those made in other regions.
The delicate and decent fabric has become synonymous with ramie cloth.
Its production proceeds in an order of cultivation and harvest, knitted ramie making, lancing, spinning, knotting, weaving, decolorization.
Knitted ramie making is to make phloem fiber by paring bark.
Lancing is to determine how many wraps are included in a piece according to yarn's thickness.
Manufacturers weave ramie textile by using a loom after starching.
Decolorization is to make white ramie cloth by drying with sunlight.
As ramie fabric is apt to be cut under lack of humidity, they must weave it in an airtight dugout and could not do work in a windy or rainy day.
Recently, as it is made with chlorine decolorization and the demands have been sharply reduced due to the development of textile industry, the technologies on ramie fabric making here has been gradually on the decline.
Hansan ramie cloth, traditional summer clothing symbolizing the nation's beauty, was designated as an important intangible cultural asset with an aim to preserve the technologies.
At present, Moon Jeong-ok was designated as master on Hansan ramie cloth making.

Cultural Heritage Administrations of Korea