A Study on Shroud

수의에 관한 연구

This is a study of the history and the changes of methods of making shroud from Koryo up to present. Korea is Known as a country of East with its courtious people, and naturally the people observed the proprieties, especially on the funeral, in performing religious services and worshiping of the ancestors. Since Koryo and Yi Dynasty, because of the complexcity of the formalities under the confucianism, the shroud also became very complex. The process of making shroud was various according to the classes and economical circumstances. They made shroud of fine textured hemp cloth or silk, selecting one of 'good days' in leap year. As they believed the shroud should be rotten as soon as possible, fine textured hemp cloth was common as for the material. The color of the shroud was either plain or colored as the casual wears. In sewing shroud, the thread shouldn't be knotted nor connected in each seam and the strips should not be even numbered. These methods of making shroud have been changed variously and symplified according to the economical circumstances up to now.