The Structure and the Layout of Ji-ui on the Main and the Subsidiary Hall of the Royal Palace in the Late Joseon Dynasty
In the late Joseon Dynasty, the floor of the royal palace was covered with grass mat called ji-ui. Ji-ui was produced by connecting several mats named seokja(席子) and trimming the edge with narrow fabric named seon (縇). The standard manufacturing technique was to connect the shorter sides of the seokjas by overstitching them. A room was covered with either single or multiple ji-uis, depending on the case. In the case of the main and the subsidiary halls (jeong-jeon and pyeon-jeon, respectively) where the king conducted official meetings with the civil servants, multiple ji-uis were laid out to signify the division of space, which reflected the ceremonial aspects of the governing acts. The most essential division was the distinction of yeong-wae(楹外) and yeong-nae(楹內), with the jeon-goju (a tall frontal pillar inside the hall) functioning as the breakpoint. Jeong-jeon was divided into four spaces each covered with one ji-ui: yeong-nae, yeong-wae, and the left and the right sides of the royal seat named jwa-tap(座榻). Pyeon-jeon was covered with three ji-uis that divided the hall into three spaces: yeong-nae, yeong-wae, and hu-twae(後退) (the hind section) where the royal seat was placed on.