Wrapping cloth (bojagi)

Wrapping cloths (bojagi) were an integral part of daily life of women in Korea during the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910). They were used to cover serving tables and trays, to wrap precious objects, and to carry small and large objects. The large size of this wrapping cloth and the sashes at the four corners suggest that it was made to enclose bed covers made of thin ramie and fine hemp for summer use. A central square, composed of four triangles, acts as the focal point for the patchwork design.

The varying density of their weaves of the remnants used here indicate that they would have come from several sources, as with all patchwork wrapping cloths. The use of ramie rather than silk is, however, less common. The irregular sizes of the rectangular patches and their uneven tones of dark blue are also unusual. Korean women's experiments with such geometric shapes and colors in wrapping cloth designs may call to mind works of twentieth-century abstract painters such as Piet Mondrian (1872–1944)—though these works would not have been known by the makers of the cloths.