(Independent scholar)
Pojagi (보자기): traditional Korean wrapping cloths
68th Annual Meeting of the PIAC, Bangkok 2026
Traditional Korean textiles have a distinctive history that reflect their local aesthetics. One of the most prevailing fabric objects in Korea, are square cloths known as pojagi that were used to carry, cover and store items. Wrapping cloths have unmistakable advantages over wooden chests or boxes, being both easier and less expensive in addition to taking up little space when not in use. These practical aspects make them especially important for people on the move or having a restricted living space. Pojagi are known to have been used in all classes of Korean society, where they continue to express – even today – respect for the wrapped item as well as for its recipient.
If spinning and weaving were considered to be tasks for Korean women of all classes, sewing and embroidery were even more so. The art of making wrapping cloths, occupied a prominent place in the daily life of women and was a utilitarian craft once practiced by almost every housewife in Korea. The earliest known wrapping cloths are assumed to have a Buddhist context, being used as coverings for sutras or tables. The earliest pojagi from the Chosŏn Dynasty were made in 1415 by Lady Yi to cover Buddhist sutras that her husband, Yun Kün copied by hand. Three out of these seven wrapping cloths were embroidered with traditional motifs such as lotuses, Tang scrolls, grasses, reeds, clouds and cranes.
Pojagi the general term used for all Korean wrapping cloths, in addition to being used as gift wrapping, were also used for transporting and storing items of value. The custom of using traditional wrapping cloths is only upheld today in a few cultures including Turkey (parçalı bohça) and Japan (furoshiki).