Wrapping cloth

China

Not on view

Wrapping cloth was used to bundle material for carrying and was popular in East Asia before the introduction of the modern backpack. Resist- and stencil-dyed patterns of two pairs of stylized badgers hugging each other appear on opposite corners. The Chinese word for “badger” (huan) is pronounced the same as the word for “happiness.” Two badgers, therefore, symbolize double happiness, a common pun in Chinese art.

Wrapping cloth, Cotton with resist and stencil dyeing, China

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