Gakjajang (Calligraphic Engraving)

A woodblock carved with characters or images is called gakja, or seogak; when made for printing it is called a mokpanbon, a woodblock print. The process of carving characters in reverse, following the printing method, is also called gakja, and the craftsman who has this skill is called a Gakjajang, or gaksu. Gakja reached its golden age centred on Buddhist temples, producing the Mugujeonggwang Great Dharani Sutra of the Silla period, known as the oldest surviving woodblock print, and the Tripitaka Koreana, the finest woodblock print still in existence. This technique continued to be transmitted into the Joseon dynasty, during which many woodblock prints were published, including the original edition of Hunminjeongeum. A Gakjajang's skill is judged from the traces left by the carving tool, the balance of the character forms, and whether any characters or strokes are wrong or missing. When a mistake occurs, only the wrongly carved section is cut away, a new piece of wood is fitted in, and the character is carved again. It also became common to hang wooden plaques (hyeonpan) inscribed with characters on the buildings of palaces, temples and private houses, so that most buildings came to bear such plaques; carving these, too, was the work of the Gakjajang. In the late Joseon period the precision of gakja declined markedly, but because there was no alternative to woodblock printing, dependence on it remained high.

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Where it is

Region

Location not stated, Seoul

Designation

National Intangible Heritage · 국가무형유산