North Korea Handicrafts

Two-Tier Chest This durable and practical wooden chest used for storing clothes is lavishly decorated with a mother-of-pearl inlay design.

North Korea
Typography
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 In the past, Korean craftsmen and women developed a wide range of techniques to produce the items they needed at home.

They made pieces of wooden furniture such as wardrobes, cabinets, and tables marked by a keen eye for balance and symmetry, and wove beautiful baskets, boxes, and mats with bamboo, wisteria, or lespedeza. They used Korean mulberry paper to make masks, dolls, and ceremonial ornaments, and decorated diverse household objects with black and red lacquer harvested from nature to make them stronger and more beautiful.

Women’s toiletry cases

Korean mulberry paper dolls made of hanji is Korean traditional handmade paper



Later, they developed the art of using beautifully dyed ox-horn strips, and iridescent mother-of-pearl and abalone shell to decorate furniture. Embroidery, decorative knot making (maedeup), and natural dyeing were also important elements of traditional Korean arts and crafts, which were widely exploited by women to make attractive garments, household objects, and personal fashion ornaments.

 

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