[Culture & Heritage] The '卍' Left on Joseon Book Covers, A Buddhist Sym...

Neunghwa printing block. Photo by Korea Institute for Korean Studies.

Ahead of Buddha’s Birthday on May 24, attention has turned to the ‘卍’ motif engraved on old Korean book covers. The Korea Institute for Korean Studies introduced the Buddhist symbols and binding culture preserved within Joseon-era bookmaking through materials related to neunghwa printing blocks once used to decorate traditional book covers.

A neunghwa printing block refers to a carved wooden block used to imprint decorative patterns onto book covers. In the Joseon Dynasty, books were not regarded merely as bundles of paper containing text. The choice of cover paper, applied colors, and embossed patterns all contributed to the overall completion of a book. Within Joseon bookbinding culture, neunghwa printing blocks functioned as tools that simultaneously demonstrated preservation technology and decorative aesthetics.

The covers embossed with these blocks did not serve decorative purposes alone. The printed patterns helped shape the external structure of books while also reducing damage caused by moisture and insects. Joseon-era neunghwa covers combined material preservation with visual ornamentation, reflecting an approach in which practicality and decoration were never treated separately.

Historical records mention materials such as hwangyeomji, baejeopji, gyomal, beeswax, and neunghwa printing blocks in the production of embossed covers. Hwangyeomji referred to yellow-dyed paper, while baejeopji was reinforcing paper attached beneath the cover for durability. Gyomal functioned as an adhesive material. Beeswax enhanced the clarity of embossed patterns while adding gloss to the surface, and also contributed to moisture resistance. The phellodendron bark and gardenia used in dyeing were known for insect-repellent and antibacterial properties. Coloring paper was therefore not only an aesthetic decision, but also part of a preservation process. Joseon embossed covers reveal how bookbinding culture integrated utility and ornamentation into a single material practice.

Neunghwa printing block. Photo by Korea Institute for Korean Studies.

Old Korean book covers featured a wide variety of patterns, including lotus flowers, floral arabesques, tortoise-shell designs, and the ‘卍’ motif. During the early Joseon period, lotus arabesque and lotus-flower patterns appeared frequently, while tortoise-shell motifs were commonly used as background designs. From the mid-Joseon period onward, however, the ‘卍’ motif spread widely. By the late Joseon era, its use on old book covers increased even further.

A study analyzing embossed covers from more than 1,200 old books found that the ‘卍’ motif accounted for over 70 percent of all patterns. The finding suggests that the design was not limited to Buddhist scriptures alone. By the late Joseon period, the ‘卍’ motif had become an established decorative system familiar within book-cover design.

Continuous arrangements of the ‘卍’ motif can also be identified on the covers of “Juyeok Cheongyeonrok” and Dongui Bogam. The pattern was not restricted to Buddhist texts. It appeared across a broad range of publications, including medical books, encyclopedic works, and modern-era printed texts. Regardless of a book’s subject matter, the motif functioned as a foundational decorative pattern within cover binding.

The ‘卍’ symbol is understood to originate from the Sanskrit term svastika. In Buddhism, it represented auspiciousness and good fortune, and was also interpreted as a symbol of the Buddha’s enlightened mind. The motif had long been used in temple architecture, Buddhist statues, and scripture decoration.

Although Joseon adopted Confucianism as its governing ideology, Buddhist elements did not entirely disappear from everyday culture, craft traditions, and bookbinding practices. The origins of embossed covers are also connected to the decorative traditions of Goryeo Buddhist manuscripts and sutra covers. Scholars suggest that visual sensibilities once used to adorn Buddhist scriptures later migrated into the decorative culture of general books.

For that reason, the ‘卍’ motif on Joseon book covers cannot be interpreted solely as a religious marker. While originating from Buddhist symbolism, it gradually settled into a broader decorative motif associated with auspiciousness and ornamentation. Its geometric structure also made it suitable for repeated arrangement across book covers. The form efficiently filled small cover surfaces with orderly visual repetition.

Neunghwa printing block. Photo by Korea Institute for Korean Studies.

The patterns carved into neunghwa printing blocks remain traces of how old books were externally shaped and valued. The process of dyeing paper, layering sheets together, applying beeswax, and embossing patterns with carved wooden blocks reflected both a desire to preserve books and an attitude that regarded them as precious objects.

The ‘卍’-patterned neunghwa printing block stands as a material record showing how Buddhist symbolism remained embedded within Joseon book culture. Even amid institutional suppression of Buddhism, motifs originating from Buddhist traditions survived by taking on decorative and auspicious meanings, eventually spreading widely across ordinary book covers.

Joseon book culture layered ancient symbols, craft techniques, and preservation methods onto a single sheet of cover paper. In that sense, decorative patterns became a language through which Joseon bookbinding culture protected and adorned books alike.

Reported by News Culture M.J._mj94070777@nc.press

* This article was manually prepared as a translated piece and later proofread and reviewed with the assistance of AI.