Geumbak (Gold-Leaf Stamping)
금박
The Korean traditional craft of decorating hanbok and other fabrics with extremely thin gold leaf.
01About
The gold-leaf artisan first carves a pattern into a wooden block, coats it with animal or fish glue, presses it where the pattern should go on the cloth, and lays gold leaf on before the glue dries, so the pattern stays on the fabric in gold; fish glue made from croaker swim bladders, soft yet elastic, is considered the best. In Joseon, gold leaf decorated the royal ceremonial garments of the five rites, including wedding clothes and burial garments. Gold-leaf craft (geumbakjang) is Korea's National Intangible Heritage No. 119; its holder Kim Ki-ho is the sixth generation of a family craft that began in 1856, in the reign of King Cheoljong.
02In the gallery
Look closely at the edges of the gold patterns: since they are stamped onto the cloth, can you see the weave of the fabric showing through the gold?
Wall label terms in Korean
- 금박장
- Geumbakjang (gold-leaf artisan)
- 금박판
- Carved pattern block
- 어교
- Fish glue
03Notes
Gold-leaf patterns are made by stamping glue onto cloth with a carved block, then laying the leaf over it.
Where on the garment do the gold patterns go?