Artisans in Korea have revived the craft of gold thread embroidery, lost for 300 years after it was banned in the 17th century.
It′s a tricky process, and artisans and experts have worked tirelessly to reconstruct the technique. The Korean movie “The Royal Tailor,” or “Sanguiwon,” revolves around the majestic attire worn by the royal family during the Joseon Dynasty. The garments are characterized by their gold embroidery, but the craft disappeared after King Yeongjo prohibited the production of extravagant items during the latter half of the 17th century. Now, after nearly 300 years, the craft has been reborn. To make the gold thread, artisans carefully gild mulberry paper with a special glue and then slice the sheets into pieces of thread.
Using a lace-making loom, they carefully embroider intricate patterns onto the fabric. The technique was recovered after four years as researchers and artisans pored over literature and studied ancient relics. “The most difficult part was selecting the suitable materials, since the properties of the available items are very different now from back then.” With the recovery of gold thread embroidery technique, artisans have been able to restore the original forms of other relics as well, including a Joseon-era jeogori, or hanbok jacket. Through the tireless efforts of these artisans, the traditional textile craft is recovering its lost light.

Duration: 1:43
Region: Korea
Source: Arirang