JIKJI and Virtual activities of metal type casting process
Immersive Content
- Year of Production
- 2024
- Detailed Genre
- Game
Summary
- Intention:
Jikji is the world's oldest book printed with movable metal type. It was published at the Heungdeoksa(a Buddhist temple) in Cheongju during the Goryeo Dynasty in 1377. The greater part of the Jikji is now lost; today only the last volume survives, and is kept at the National Library of France (BnF).
Yet, little is known about this important national cultural heritage. Moreover, with the exception of Cheongju, the birthplace of Jikji, people are often unaware of the historical value of this Korean national heritage. That's why we decided to develop a virtual reality experience focused on the casting and metal printing of Jikji.
- Play concept : Players enter the workshop of a Goryeo Dynasty craftsman, observe the metal type casting process, digitally recreate the appearance of the metal type being made, and learn about the type making process.
- Play Story : Players follow the metal type artisans of the Goryeo Dynasty and enter the virtual Jikji foundry to experience the casting process. They first cut paper and fix it with beeswax. They then carve the wax into letters and add yellow clay and soil. They pour the mixed clay into a bamboo tube, shape the wax characters from yellow clay, pour in the cast iron, and obtain metal characters. This experience involves assembling metal characters to create a letterpress plate and print them on paper. Participants learn about the casting process by following the artisan's demonstration.
Jikji is the world's oldest book printed with movable metal type. It was published at the Heungdeoksa(a Buddhist temple) in Cheongju during the Goryeo Dynasty in 1377. The greater part of the Jikji is now lost; today only the last volume survives, and is kept at the National Library of France (BnF).
Yet, little is known about this important national cultural heritage. Moreover, with the exception of Cheongju, the birthplace of Jikji, people are often unaware of the historical value of this Korean national heritage. That's why we decided to develop a virtual reality experience focused on the casting and metal printing of Jikji.
- Play concept : Players enter the workshop of a Goryeo Dynasty craftsman, observe the metal type casting process, digitally recreate the appearance of the metal type being made, and learn about the type making process.
- Play Story : Players follow the metal type artisans of the Goryeo Dynasty and enter the virtual Jikji foundry to experience the casting process. They first cut paper and fix it with beeswax. They then carve the wax into letters and add yellow clay and soil. They pour the mixed clay into a bamboo tube, shape the wax characters from yellow clay, pour in the cast iron, and obtain metal characters. This experience involves assembling metal characters to create a letterpress plate and print them on paper. Participants learn about the casting process by following the artisan's demonstration.
