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Museum Information > Museum Information |
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 Museum
information |
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Museum of Korea Straw and Plants Handicraft registered at of Ministry of Culture and Tourism in 1993 and was located in Cungdamdong, Kangnamgu, Seoul for 8 years. And then the museum was relocated to Myeongnyun-dong in 2001. The founder is Byung Sun In who has devoted her whole life to research about straw.
In addition, this museum was founded on researching straw in a systematic |
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| What
is straw plant culture |
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Straw and plant are the oldest and most widely used materials by mankind since ancient times, even though history does not record a 'straw and plant age' like the stone or the iron ages. Straw and plant were used in many aspects of daily life during the pre-historic ages in including building houses, making clothes and farm appliances and carrying goods just by using innovative straw and plant applications.
Straw is the stem part of cultivated rice minus the head that can be eaten. Plant, on the other hand, grows widely in the mountains and the fields without cultivation.
In general, we think about straw as only rice straw, but grain stems like wheat, barley, and Indian millet can all be straw once the head of grain has been removed. Actually most traditional daily tools were made of rice straw like straw roof, the entrance of a village, straw shoes and a basket for carrying a variety of things like dirt and farm produce etc.
Straw is also versatile as building materials that has keeping warm and also for sealing roves from the weather. However, plant had a wider variety of uses than rice straw. For example, a mat is made of sedge or a cogon; Korean paper is made of the peeling of a paper mulberry tree and a straw raincoat is made of a cattail. They are properly used for their specific properties. Up to this point, it is difficult to tell which one is most important and used the most between plant grass and straw.
Undoubtedly, in the past straw and plant was the best gift from nature, which made most our ancestor's life more abundant up until now.
Other example of straw plant use was in the making of straw shoes. Straw shoes were traditional shoes that could be used only up to 10 days. In winter, ten pairs of shoes were generally made in advance so they could be changed straight away whenever they wore out. Ladies especially wore 'flower shoes' made of either hemp, ginseng, a cattail or rushes dyed in colorful water.
Shoes were also made for various occasions and seasons and also for different positions people held in society. For example, the upper level wore delicate 'hemp cord sandals'. In winter there were 'winter shoes' for snowy days, 'mourning shoes' for the chief mourner 'st raw shoes' made of special hair for a benefactor etc… There were many kinds of shoes like sneakers, slippers etc. |
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| Traditional Korean straw thatched houses have historically used the largest amount of straw in the past. The upper class had roves made of tiles, but the lower class had roves made of straw rice straw. However, in the event people found it difficult to get rice straw to make their roves, they would have no alternative but to use plant (cogon or eulalia grass).
In the construction of a straw house, firstly, the walls would be erected using straw thatches and then the roof would be placed on top also made of straw. On these occasions it became somewhat of a community festival with everyone getting involved. Often neighbors would help in the re-thatching every 1 to 2 years because it was too difficult to do be done by one person. |
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| In traditional societies, almost everything was maintained with straw grass materials. Houses for animals, nest, rain cape for rainy day, straw mats, entrance of villages, baskets, winnows, scrubbers and straw cushions. Thus, It was almost impossible to live on without straw and plant. |
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This also included both religion and recreational occasions. For example, the golden, twisted straw rope on the front gate or village entrance was used in religious ceremonies when a child was born as well as during other religious ceremonies.
Masks were also made of straw plant and include the basket mask; the winnow mask and the zodiacal sign mask and they were used in ceremonies and during festival events in the community.
Other ways where straw rope was used when warning people to stay away.
For example, by putting a charcoal, Korean paper and pine branches at the village entrance meant 'do not enter' and was called 'left twisted straw rope' because of the direction it was facing. For recreation, a tug of war game was played using straw plant like rice straw or the vines or arrowroots. Once the vine was set in place in a straight line, two teams played a tug of war; man against woman and uptown against downtown on the lunar day.
It was believed that the winner would have believed to be even better. Because of this, the women were often secretly helped to win. |
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| Clearly, straw grass has played a significant part in many aspects of Korean culture. Not only was straw plant used for practical, everyday purpose, but it was also used in arts and crafts that expressed the way Korean people felt at that time. For a period in Korean history, straw plant almost died out when new materials like iron and wood started being used.
However, in later centuries, straw plant began resurgence and in more modern times, contemporary artist have elaborated on this art form increasing its artistic appeal by using dyes.
Straw plant has played a significant part in Koreas heritage and is deeply ingrained in many aspects of the culture. Although a basic medium, straw plant culture is one that is going to be conserved as part of Korean heritage for the generations to come. |
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| Admission
Fee |
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| Division |
Individual |
Group(Over
20 People) |
| Adult |
4,000
won |
3,000
won |
| Child |
3,000
won |
2,000
won |
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| Closing
date |
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| Every Monday, New Year's
Day, Korean Thanksgiving Day, one day after holidays |
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| Opening
hours |
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November ~ February 10:00
AM ~ 5:00 PM(Admission until 4:00 PM)
March ~ October 10:00 AM ~ 5:30 PM(Admission until
4:30 PM) |
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| The
way to the Museum |
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| Adress |
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Museum of Korea Straw
and Plants Handicraft 8-4, Myeongnyun-dong 2(i)-ga,
Jongno-gu, Seoul
Tel : 82-2-743-8787 / 8788
Fax : 82-2-743-8786 |
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| Transport |
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- Subway
Get off at Hyehwa Stn. (Line 4, Exit 4 )
- Bus
Get off at Hyehwa crossroad, Hyehwa Subway Station Stop
City Bus : 2, 3, 5-1, 6, 8, 8-1, 12, 12-1, 13, 13-1, 16,
,20, 25, 34-1, 63-1, 84, 84-1, 85, 205, 205-1, 222, 361,
710, 725
City Express Bus : 902, 902-1, 917 |
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