Ipsajang (Silver or Gold Inlaying)

Ipsa is a type of metalwork in which a groove is cut into the surface of a metal object and a thread of gold or silver wire is set into it as decoration; it was formerly described by a term meaning "to thread." This technique, and the craftsman who possesses it, are known as ipsajang. The origins of ipsa craftwork are not precisely known, but it first appears in relics excavated from the Nangnang commandery, dating from around the first or second century BCE, and relics recovered from Silla tombs suggest that the technique had become highly developed by the Silla period. There are broadly two ipsa techniques. One is a traditional method passed down from the Goryeo period, in which a groove is carved into the surface of bronze with the tip of a chisel and a silver wire is driven into it. The other, cheol-ipsa, or iron inlay, spread from the middle of the Joseon period: a wide area of the base iron's surface is roughened by chiselling crosswise and lengthwise grooves until it becomes coarse and burred, after which thin gold or silver plates or wires are laid over it and hammered so that they bond to the metal. Of these, inlay by carving and setting was often carried out by a jogakjang, a carving craftsman, while iron inlay was chiefly the work of an ipsajang. The patterns rendered in ipsa are largely traditional motifs, including plum blossom, orchid, chrysanthemum, bamboo, crane, girin (a mythical unicorn-like creature), deer, bat, tiger, and pine.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Location not stated, Seoul

Designation

National Intangible Heritage · 국가무형유산