Sangju ‘Heossi Silk’ exhibited in chronological order of old looms

‘Jamjok’, a nest where silkworms make cocoons

Experience the transformation process of sericulture technology, such as pine branches

Thin and thin support that supports the silkworm's weight

Dismantling after silkworm breeding, minimal structure

Eating gochujang and praying for good luck

Her mother had no time to take in the bustling scene in the market as she held on tight to the hem of her skirt and tried not to let go. Even though she often walks, she still follows her mother because she buys her clothes for Chuseok. I try to match the length and color, but the clothes are always bigger than the body and loose. She said her mother would soon grow up and she never bought her clothes that fit her. Still, I liked the smell of my new clothes. Because of the thicker fabric than the season, it was hot to wear on Chuseok, and because of the large size, the sleeves were always folded one-up. So by the time the size was right, it seemed like it was time to stop wearing the clothes.

It was good though. As long as it is short, those years become gray and far away. However, even now, the smile of her mother, who bought her clothes and smiled brightly, is clearly visible even in the tear marks around her eyes. Sometimes then her mother wants to ask if she was really as happy as that bright smile. Didn't she look like that in my immature eyes?

The clamor of shoulder-to-shoulder bumping in the narrow market alley and the muddy bargaining in the alley of the fish market were as fresh as the fluttering fish, and the voices of the people were friendly.

Clothes that were so hard to buy and wear are now too easily overflowing around us. What we have lost and gained will be as stark as the interval of that tremendous change.

Even if it is not the paradox of Howard Gardner that ‘the stronger the tradition, the healthier the society’, the museum creates cultural programs that can communicate and sympathize with people. Among them, we are making efforts to bring a part of our lost culture back into existence in the present by finding the assets of a disappearing tradition and engaging in activities to find their meaning. It is because we know that there are still traditions that remain like an albula buried in ashes, and that there are people who devote their entire lives to protecting those embers.

It is because I believe that if you add even a small breeze to the difficult flapping of your wings, it will be the first step in creating a small waterway and allowing it to flow safely someday.

In the appearance of the museum friends leaving after eating an early breakfast, all of their faces with blushing are beautiful, perhaps because of light expectations. I wonder what kind of experience they will have in an unfamiliar encounter with a tradition that they have never met before escaping from the harsh daily life.

[Lee Kyung-sook's story of thread and needle] The smell and memory of the grandmother who was choosing silkworms... A shabby nest and a piece of a frugal life

This time we went to Sangju. The forest was wet from the rain, and the surroundings of Gyeongcheondae (擎天臺), which embraces the river, look mysterious as if they were in a landscape painting. So, I looked around and headed to ‘Heo’s Silk’ at the time I reserved. Before I even got off the bus, I saw the Heo couple standing in front of the door. Standing with a smile on their faces, they looked just like Yeon-orang and Seo-nyeo. According to the Samguk Yusa (Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms), the sun and moon disappeared in Silla after Yeonorang and Seo-nyeo crossed over to Japan on a rock. In order to find the sun and moon that disappeared in Silla, the story of the silk cloth woven by Seo-oh and holding a sacrifice to the sky makes me think of many things. It seems that the artisan who lives by serving the origin of our culture like the sun and moon is himself serving as the sun and moon. With a friendly smile and a warm voice, he explained the history of his past life. I thought that the pure tenacity toward Han-gil is the support for preserving our culture.

A silkworm thread was hung on the wall of the exhibition hall where old looms and improved looms were displayed in chronological order in one space. It is also called ‘Jamjok(蠶簇)’, and it can be said that it is a nest where a kind of silkworm nests to make a cocoon. I was surprised to see some familiar brushes, but also early ones that I hadn't seen before. From pine branches to various branches, the process of sericulture has been transformed.

Across from the exhibition hall was the Jamsil (蠶室). It is said that the silk chamber of the Heo clan was built in Yeongcheon in 1959 and was relocated and restored. You can see old mulberry trees in front of Jamsil. It is said that they were brought from various places just before they were cut down and disappeared. My heart is humbled by the tearful efforts to preserve and leave the old things behind.

The smell of her grandmother, who was choosing silkworms, passed her nose for a moment as she entered Jamsil, which has an old appearance made of earthen walls. It was. Too many lost memories. It wasn't as rich as it is now, but the warmth that those spaces had embraced sat down when you comforted your heart for a while. People just blankly stare at the wall, smell it, or look up at the ceiling. I am amazed at how thin the old wooden support that used to put the chimney was. Those supports, which seemed so solid at the time, were thin and thin, but supported the weight of the silkworm and silkworm, and were the housekeeping that led our lives.

I nodded my head as I heard the explanation that it was made with minimal structures because it had to be dismantled once the silkworm feeding was over. It looked tattered, but I could see the pieces of a clean and thrifty life. It is said that when the silkworm climbed into the nest, they ate cocoon rice cakes and prayed to the silkworm to make it as hard as a godre stone. As if putting a bookmark on each page of the bookshelf, I can see the images of rumination on meaning and memories together. In the times when every day was precious and every day was the best, the memories of loving and being loved suddenly come to mind. What other memories did the museum friends bring up as memories? Each of them must have carried at least one scent that penetrates the past and present time in their hearts.

After returning from the trip, I heard good news. Last August, Heo's silk fabric was selected as a 'local root company' as a business that has been in the traditional industry for more than 30 years, and the restored Jamsil was designated as an 'industrial heritage' respectively. If one small fire is not extinguished, one day it will create a big flame.

In the 9th year of King Yuri, the 3rd ruler of Silla, two princesses were each led by women from the department, divided into two groups, and from July 16th, they gathered in the courtyard of the six departments every day. Weaving was done, and on August 15, the long and short of the weaving was looked at, and the losing side prepared wine and rice to pay tribute to the winning side, and all kinds of entertainment was called 'Gabae'.

Someday, a festival reproducing this custom of weaving may arise in Sangju-gol. On the way back, I reminisced about the old women weaving while reciting a Chinese poem by Heo Nanseolheon.

貧女吟 (Binnyeoum) Song of a poor girl / Heonanseolheon

手把金剪刀 (Supa Geumjeondo) Sewing with scissors in hand

夜寒十指直 (Yahansipjijik) Cold night, my hands are cold and I can't straighten them

While making a bride's dress for someone else,

年年還獨宿 (Yeonnyeonhwandoksuk) Every year, he spends his days alone.

museum su curator