Maetong — The Wooden Rice Huller

Before rice mills, every farmhouse hulled its grain in a maetong like this. Comb-like teeth are cut into the meeting faces of two logs; the upper one turns, and rice slips through between them.

The fan-shaped grain of the grinding face, the body worn smooth by decades of hands — a retired farm tool becomes this beautiful an object. Stood side by side, they are simply a pair of sculptures.

Related Objects in Museum Collections

A few related objects found on Korea’s e-Museum by searching for “매통”. Comparing their forms is a quiet pleasure.