akive

By Chung Ah-young

Close in geography but distant in sentiment because of history is the usual summary of Korea and Japan. But the two neighbors undeniably share cultural traits.

The tradition of “bojagi,” or wrapping cloth, has existed in Korea, Japan and China throughout history. Now only Korea and Japan have maintained the tradition, mostly as gift covers on special occasions.

The Museum of Korean Embroidery is currently holding an exhibition titled “A

Story on 500 Years of Korean and Japanese Bojagi” to showcase the differences and similarities in style and usage.

“It is the first of its kind to introduce various Japanese wrapping cloths in Korea. It’s a rare opportunity to compare the bojagi cultures of the two nations,” museum curator Lee Hye-kyu said.

The wrapping cloths vary according to material and usage and classified as being either embroidery, patchwork, printed, painted or gilded. By usage, they are divided between blankets and cloth covers whose ends have strings attached, made from silk, hemp or ramie.

“The patterns of Korean bojagi are very abstract and colorful. But Japanese wrapping cloths are pictorial. That’s the most distinguishable difference between Korean and Japanese wrapping cloths,” she said.

In Korea, “jogakbo,” or patchwork bojagi, were widely manufactured by using left over scraps of colorful fabric. “Traditional Korean costumes have many round shapes such as their sleeves. So we have many remnants from the cloth. Jogakbo is a way of recycling them and forming a patchwork item. Meanwhile, traditional Japanese costumes (kimono) use rectangular shapes and don’t leave as many,” according to Lee.

The curator says a patchwork bojagi tells a tale. “Many ancient women made costumes in case of special events when their husbands passed state official examinations or were promoted or for children’s birthdays or when loved ones passed away. So every patch reflects the stories of their lives,” she said

“We rarely know the creators or owners of Korean bojagi but the Japanese ones have the symbols of the families that actually used them. It is noticeable that the Japanese wrapping cloths have family symbols and were mass produced.”

Japanese wrapping cloths are broadly divided into two categories ― Furoshiki and Fukusa. Furoshiki are usually large for practical purposes such as wrapping clothes or blankets while Fukusa are luxuriously adorned with flamboyant patterns as decoration for gift covers.

Lee pointed out that the wrapping cloths from the two nations are sometimes similar. The patterns of ancient coins are commonly found in examples from both countries. “The Japanese wrapping cloths are usually painting-like but the abstract patterns of the ancient coins on them show cultural exchanges between the two nations in the past,” she said. The curator added that some of the Japanese cloths use patchwork that is very similar to Korean pieces.

She added that most visitors to the museum are foreigners, particularly from Japan. “The exhibition is designed not to show which nation’s culture is superior but to offer an opportunity to compare the similarities and differences of the two cultures.”

The museum was founded in 1971 by director Huh Dong-hwa, who has collected some 3,000 embroidery and needlework items such as folding screens and blinds.
The exhibition will continue through Dec. 31. For more information, call (02) 515-5115.


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