Wapping cloth with embroidery
Not on view
Prior to wrapping paper and shopping bags, square or rectangular cloths were used to wrap gifts and bundle items. Different techniques, such as patchwork and embroidery, were used to create and decorate the cloths. Still made today as mass-produced utilitarian objects or as singular hand-made artworks, wrapping cloths have been employed since the Joseon dynasty (1392–1910) and were created by women from all social classes as examples of creative thriftiness.
This cloth has curling floral stems in each quadrant that are rendered through embroidery and resist dying. The colorful blooms and leaves are depicted through careful stitching of multihued and metallic threads. The grey flowers and leaves are made from resist dying and ink painting.
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