Some of us might have witnessed special occasions such as a wedding and housewarming party in Korean dramas or reality TV shows, where Koreans are seen to be giving their gifts neatly wrapped in some sort of cloth.

It is very interesting to explore whether these wrappings are just a quick way to skip the task of using a typical wrapping paper and a sellotape or they do actually hold any special meaning. Yes, you guessed it right. Of course, they are not merely a random way of wrapping a gift.

But first, let me introduce you to it – in case it’s your first time hearing about this unique culture that started to emerge back in the early Joseon Dynasty. The fact is, such heritage has been around for more than a century! This traditional wrapping cloth is called bojagi, generally in square size, and there are numerous types of them.

Depending on the occasion, receiver, colour, material and pattern, bojagi could come in many distinctive and extraordinary characteristics. For instance, subo (수보), which is basically embroidered type of bojagi, is often used in joyful wedding ceremonies as a symbolism of faithfulness, loyalty and good luck.

I find it very interesting that even back then, commoners also had their way of making bojagi – since I had this presumption that it’s only used for events involving the royal families. It’s called jogakbo (조각보) and the most unique feature of this bojagi is how it is made by connecting small segments (조각) of fabric, usually the leftover fabric obtained from the production of hanbok clothing.

Since it’s made from leftovers, the entirety of the fabric is utilised to the fullest, leaving no waste behind. As I said, they are made with fabric scraps, which means that the fabric pieces used are not necessarily regular or ‘perfect’ pieces of fabric. And I find it mesmerising. From here, we can observe how so-called ‘imperfect’ pieces of cloth can be transformed into a beauty – imperfection in a way becomes a perfection.

Jogakbo amplified the remarkable arrangement born within the creativity of the maker. Bonus point: It’s especially friendly to mother nature too! Instead of disposable wrapping paper, bojagi is reusable and in today’s world where climate awareness is essential to humanity, it remains a relevant and significant environmental consciousness to everyone around the world.

Ah! Did I mention how bojagi started to be considered as art objects only in the late 1960s?  Even though the aesthetic part of doing bojagi was still given the utmost attention, it was only considered a functional custom.

Due to its practical uses, bojagi was just to wrap any type of gift and it’s also easy to be kept when not in use.  But today, I see that bojagi is now becoming a symbol of creativity,  self-expression, contemporaneousness and one of the many heritage of the Korean identity.