A Study on Plain Gauze Through Artifacts of the Joseon Dynasty

This study investigates the historical development and usage patterns of mumunsa(無紋紗), a plain gauze fabric without decorative patterns, by examining both documentary records and extant artifacts from the Joseon period. Through comparative analysis of written sources and material evidence, the study traces the evolution of mumunsa. The findings are as follows. First, documentary texts refer to mumunsa under various names—such as sosa(素紗), mumunsa(無紋紗), and eunjosa(銀條紗)—and confirm its continuous use as a principal textile for royal ceremonial attire from the Goryeo dynasty through the Korean Empire period. Second, in the early Joseon period, mumunsa was used only in limited areas of garments, such as the collar(dongjeong) of cheollik and dapho, or as the lining of ak-su. By the seventeenth century, however, it came to serve as a central material for ceremonial robes such as the dopo, jobok, and hyungbae, marking a significant expansion in its application. In the eighteenth century, it continued to be widely used in ritual garments, including myeongjeong, and in the accoutrements of official headgear. From the nineteenth to the early twentieth century, mumunsa appeared not only in men’s ceremonial attire but also in women’s dangui and undergarments, spreading across gender and class boundaries as a high-quality textile. Third, these shifts reflect the broader diffusion of mumunsa across the spectrum of dress in late Joseon society, paralleling the increasing accessibility and popularization of textile production. In conclusion, mumunsa developed from a supplementary material into a central fabric of Joseon-period attire, symbolizing both technological advances and social change. By presenting a systematic, evidence-based analysis of the textile’s historical status and transformations, integrating documentary sources and artifacts, this study provides foundational data for further research on the clothing and textile culture of the Joseon dynasty.