Maedeup (Korean Decorative Knots): Cords Blossoming in the Hand

Maedeup refers to the traditional technique of tying and braiding woven cords into decorative shapes, or to the knots formed through this technique. To make these knots, silk threads are first dyed in different colors, twisted, combined, and woven into cords. Spun thickly or thinly, but typically with two strands, these cords can be crafted into various forms. The knots made from them are used to adorn norigae (decorative pendants) hung from hanbok (traditional Korean clothing) or to embellish yuso (decorative tassels). In a broad sense, maedeup encompasses all the techniques of weaving, tying, and braiding. Beyond being merely string objects, the finished decorative knots are meant to convey both aesthetic beauty and spiritual significance.

Called kkeunmok in Korean, woven cords are the fundamental material for Korean decorative knots. They are made by twisting and combining dyed threads of degummed raw silk prior to weaving. Their name in Chinese characters carries the meaning of “many threads forming a painting.” These cords are largely divided into a round type and a wide, flat type depending on the shapes. Round woven cords are occasionally used to fasten dopo (men’s overcoats), but they are primarily employed for creating decorative knots. The wide, flat type, on the other hand, are often used as functional cords due to their flat structure woven with warps and wefts. These woven cords are then braided into a wide variety of shapes, including double connection (dorae), eared double connection (gwidorae), ginger (ssangjjok), glasses (angyeong), plum blossom (maehwa), chrysanthemum (gukhwa), butterfly (nabi), circular cushion with eggplant-shaped ears (gajibangseok), cicada (maemi), dragonfly (jamjari), lotus bud (yeonbong), hourglass-shaped drum (igwi), bee (beol), banister (nangan), small wicker tray (socha), large wicker tray (daecha), strawberry (ttalgi), silkworm (kkondigi), pomegranate (seokssi), and tortoise shell (sasaekpan).

The furthest origins of Korean decorative knots can be traced back to the Neolithic period, as evidenced by artifacts including fishing nets and specialized earthenware. The excavation of clay spindle whorls and bone needles also indicates the early use of knotting. Wide, flat woven cords were unearthed from the Tomb of Wang U in the Lelang Commandery, and depictions of woven cords can be found in the mural painting in the main chamber of Muyongchong Tomb from the Goguryeo Kingdom. During the Joseon Dynasty, artisans specializing in decorative knotting served in the royal court. In the “Public Works” chapter of Daejeon hoetong (Comprehensive Compendium of the National Code), they were described as “maejipjang.” These decorative knotting artisans were classified as state-employed handicraft technicians. Two worked under the Gongjo (Ministry of Public Works), and four were assigned to the Sanguiwon (Bureau of Royal Attire). The Korean decorative knotting tradition has been handed down for generations. In the Goryeo Dynasty, decorative knots were used by noblewomen as luxurious ornaments. In the subsequent Joseon era, their applications became more diverse. They adorned palanquins, sedan chairs, clothing, and various everyday items. Passed down from hand to hand, the Korean decorative knotting tradition is an art form crafted with cords that reflects an exquisite beauty created through the tying and braiding of strands.

Types and Usages of Korean Decorative Knots

1) Norigae (decorative pendants): A common example of women’s accessories from the Joseon Dynasty, norigae vary in type according to their shapes, materials, functions, and the seasons in which they were intended to be worn. A three-strand norigae typically features the three primary colors (red, blue, and yellow). It consists of three strands embellished with knots made from diverse colors of woven cords, including pink, light green, purple, wine, and jade green. Each strand is finished with a tassel hanging beneath the knot. The knots used in norigae take on several forms, such as double connection, ginger, plum blossom, chrysanthemum, three gingers, chick, butterfly, and circular cushion with eggplant-shaped ears. Beneath these knots are rings made of colored or gold threads, from which tassels with strawberry- or octopus foot-shaped heads or heads adorned with Chinese characters in gold thread are suspended. The forms and designs of norigae reflect the secular desires of women during the Joseon era.

2) Various pouches: One of the defining characteristics of traditional Korean clothing is the absence of pockets. Instead, Koreans of all genders and ages carried separately-made pouches that served both functional and decorative purposes. These pouches varied in type according to their shapes, decorations, uses, and materials. Examples include eared or round drawstring pouches as well as pouches designed specifically for carrying medicine, brushes, spoons and chopsticks, or glasses. Diverse decorative knots and tassels were attached to these pouches. Tassels feature half-divided or strawberry-shaped heads or heads adorned with Chinese characters in gold thread. The knots take on forms such as those known as the crane wing, glasses, dragonfly, ginger, chrysanthemum, and chick.

3) Cords for dopo (men’s overcoats): During the Joseon Dynasty, scholar-officials fastened their everyday attire, dopo (men’s overcoats), with a round woven cord that had a tassel with a strawberry-shaped head at each end. The long cord was tied in a double coin knot, and the two tassels would hand down to the knees to create an elegant appearance. The colors of these cords varied according to social position: high-level officials used scarlet, pink, and violet cords; scholars used green; low-level officials and clerks used gray; those who passed the preliminary state examinations used purple; and chief mourners wore white, regardless of social class.

4) Tassels for hopae (identification tags): Most hopae (identification tags) worn by men were attached to the waist cords of their trousers and decorated with tassels featuring spherical heads. The materials for tags and the inscriptions carved on them varied according to the wearers’ social status, which in turn led to differences in the accompanying tassels and woven cords.

5) Tassels for fan weights: A fan weight was threaded onto a woven cord attached to the ring of a fan, and a tassel was suspended beneath it. The forms of fan weights and the small containers for toothpicks or earpicks that were hung from the fans varied according to the users’ social status. The colors of the accompanying woven cords also differed.

6) Waist belt: At both ends of wide, plain-woven waist belts are several rows of half-hitch knots. When worn, the knotted ends hang down from the waist.

7) Interior decorations: Knots were used to embellish objects for beautifully and elegantly adorning an interior space, including hangers for string curtains or hanging screens, clothes hanging rods, hanging scrolls, hanging boards, brush hangers, and letter racks.

8) Religious rituals: Palanquins, banners, and fly whisks used at Buddhist temples were adorned with knot decorations. For palanquins, knots and tassels hung with jade pieces, glass beads, incense cases, and wooden sculptures were suspended from the four eaves. Large yuso (decorative tassels) with pomegranate knots were hung down from the four corners. 

9) Musical instruments: According to the “Musical Instrument” section in Sejong sillok (Annals of King Sejong), yuso (decorative tassels) were used to embellish musical instruments, including geongo (large barrel drum), banghyang (chime with sixteen bronze slabs), dangpilryul (Chinese double-reed oboe), jeok (transverse flute), hyangpilryul (Korean double-reed oboe), daejeok (large transverse flute), jangguchae (stick for a hourglass-shaped drum), tongso (vertical flute), haegeum (two-stringed instrument), bak (wooden clapper with six slabs), iron transverse flute with silver inlay, jukganja (pole), hwaggae (umbrella-shaped ritual object), la (set of ten round metal slabs), and pyeonjong (chime with sixteen bronze bells).

10) Ceremonial attire: Among the official uniforms from the Joseon Dynasty, the ceremonial attire worn on festive occasions and the attire for ancestral rituals held at Jongmyo Shrine featured a husu (embroidered rear panel) with a blue mangsu braid attached below. Tassels hang from the end of this braid. The accompanying golden headpieces are similarly adorned with strawberry-shaped tassels on both sides. In the case of ceremonial robes for queens, a husu was also tied at the waist, with its lower portion decorated with tassels. Moreover, paeok (jade pendants) worn exclusively by kings, queens, and high-ranking officials were fitted with knotted braids and tassels. 

11) Objects and clothing for the royal court: Among the official uniforms from the Joseon Dynasty, the ceremonial attire worn on festive occasions and the attire for ancestral rituals held at Jongmyo Shrine featured a husu (embroidered rear panel) with a blue mangsu braid attached below. Tassels hang from the end of this braid. The accompanying golden headpieces are similarly adorned with strawberry-shaped tassels on both sides. In the case of ceremonial robes for queens, a husu was also tied at the waist, with its lower portion decorated with tassels. Moreover, paeok (jade pendants) worn exclusively by kings, queens, and high-ranking officials were fitted with knotted braids and tassels. 

12) Rites and ceremonies for commoners: Palanquins used to carry brides to their weddings and noblewomen on outings were decorated with various knots and tassels. In addition, biers were adorned with large and small yuso (decorative tassels), and the curtains draped over them were likewise embellished with ornamental tassels. Coffins were bound with white cloth tied in knots.

Jeong Bong-seop: Inheritor of a Century-Long Tradition of Korean Decorative Knotting

Jeong Bong-seop is a national intangible cultural heritage holder in Korean decorative knotting. She learned the art from her father Jeong Yeon-su, who was designated as the first Korean decorative knotting heritage holder in 1968, and her mother Choe Eun-sun, who was designated as the second holder in 1976. With her eldest daughter, Park Seon-gyeong, as a successor training assistant, her family has been working in the tradition for three generations. Most Korean decorative knotting artisans in the past were men, since knotting the large tassels used to decorate palanquins, flags, and biers required physical strength. Jeong’s mother, who married her father when he was already crafting knots for a living, helped him primarily by creating ornamental knots used for small norigae (decorative pendants), belts, and pouch strings. Jeong Bong-seop inherited not only the family business from her parents, but also the endurance required of Korean decorative knotting artisans. Since making decorative knots entails working with thin threads for over ten hours a day, meticulousness and perseverance are essential.

Jeong Bong-seop inherited her parents’ talent and naturally came to follow in their footsteps. She recalls that her mother, who recognized her gift early on, was particularly strict on her.

The process of making decorative knots begins with dying silk threads in a variety of colors. Using a knotting awl, artisans tighten each knot in a precise sequence, creating unique and beautiful designs based on their intended uses. Crafting a single decorative pendant can take more than ten days. Even a single tassel strand attached to the pendant requires twisting the threads hundreds of times without pause. These decorative knots are the result of remarkable patience and meticulous craftsmanship.

Jeong Bong-seop has mastered every type of decorative knots and is renowned for her exquisite artisanry. However, after spending decades sitting for hours to create each knot, she suffered a torn tendon, required injections in her fingers, and even underwent surgery on her lower back.

The Korean decorative knotting tradition that had been passed down across two generations is now being carried on by Park Seon-gyeong, the daughter of Jeong Bong-seop. Although Park has devoted herself to the craft for more than twenty years, she is still often scolded by her strict mother. Because her mother has sought perfection in everything since childhood, Park accepts her guidance without complaint.

Drawing on her exquisite skills, Jeong Bong-seop has created a wide variety of works, ranging from decorative pendants to decorative tassels used for ritual adornment. She also revived a technique of weaving Chinese character designs into tassel heads using gold thread. In 2006, she was designated as the intangible cultural heritage artisan in Korean decorative knotting in recognition of her dedication to preserving and transmitting traditional Korean decorative knotting techniques and restoring them to their original state.

Artworks

1_Three-strand Norigae_L. 49 cm

This type of large three-strand norigae (decorative pendant) is a notable example of the gifts traditionally given at important family rites, such as weddings. These pendants are adorned with accessories symbolizing conjugal harmony and good fortune, including branch coral, jade butterflies, and amber.

2_Tassel for a Curtain_L. 170 ×W. 120 × D. 98 cm

This type of curtain is draped over doors or walls to keep out the cold or wind.

Production Process

1) Dyeing: Crafting a Korean decorative knot begins with dyeing silk threads. Before the silk threads are placed onto a frame with a spool to be woven into a cord, they must undergo several steps. First, raw silk threads are boiled in soapy water, thoroughly rinsed, and dried in the shade. This process is called ‘degumming’ or ‘maturing.’ The degummed silk threads are then dyed using natural tints made from flowers, roots, and leaves, including safflower, gromwell, indigo, madder, gardenia fruit, kudzu, pigweed, sappanwood, jujube bark, yew, common dayflower, money flower, azuki bean, and pear tree bark.

2) Braiding: After dyeing and drying, bundles of silk threads are hung around a spool and wound. This winding process is called “jaaejil” or “haesa” in Korean. Once wound, the threads are combined and draped over a frame. The end of each thread is securely hooked onto a spindle, and the spindle shaft is rubbed to twist the threads. These twisted threads are then braided using four, eight, or twelve strands.

3) Knotting: To make a knot, a cord is folded in half to form a center, and the folded strands of the cord are braided and tightened after carefully straightening them. This tightening process is crucial since the beauty of a knot depends largely on how evenly and firmly the strands are pulled. A single looped strand is then drawn out and straightened to achieve overall balance in the finished knot.

4) Making a tassel: Various types of tassels with strawberry-, bell-, rod-, and octopus foot-shaped heads or with heads featuring Chinese characters in gold thread are crafted using different specialized processes.