What is Furoshiki (Japanese fabric wrapping)
I love this Japanese art form of reducing my footprint and making art at the same time. My greatest wish is to receive one back wrapped in a gift!!!
I have made a few and they are the examples shown.
When it comes to gift-wrapping furoshiki is the perfect way to convey thoughtfulness and courtesy through the care taken in the choice of wrapping and in the way the fabric is folded and tied.
When plastic bags began being used in Japan, furoshiki use declined substantially. A resurgence in the artform has occurred as environmental awareness is increasing and many modern furoshiki are designed with contemporary fabrics seeking to appeal to younger generations. Whereas regular bags have a fixed amount of space that can only carry a particular type of object, a furoshiki is highly versatile and can be adapted to suit the exacts needs of the specific objects to be carried.
Traditionally both the colour and the printed design on the furoshiki is meaningful, so it's important to choose the correct cloth for the occasion. The giver presents the receiver with the gift, unveils it then keeps the cloth for the next use
FUROSHIKI EMBRACES THE PHILOSOPHY OF ECO-FRIENDLY LIVING BY CHALLENGING US ON HOW MANY ITEMS WE REALLY NEED. THIS BEAUTIFUL AND INGENIOUS ART ALLOWS ONE OBJECT TO HAVE MANY USES SIMPLY BY FOLDING AND TYING THE CLOTH IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
Traditional Furoshiki
While Japanese culture is not alone in using fabric wrapping, furoshiki has a distinctive style reflecting their interest in ceremony, beauty, multi-functional objects and thoughtful detail in their approach to everyday living.
Cloth wrapping has been used for over 1200 years in Japan and the word furoshiki came about during the Edo period (1603-1868) when the cloths were commonly used in bath houses to wrap clothes and as a bath mat. The word furoshiki means 'bath spread'.
Over time, they developed a multitude of uses and patterns that are both elegant and functional. One furoshiki cloth can be used for:
Eco-fabric wrapping
Western culture is beginning to pick up on furoshiki and it's easy to wrap your own gifts. It's even quicker than paper wrapping!
Including some instructions on how to tie a furoshiki as part of your gift is a nice touch, and it's also great to give the person a demonstration to show them just how easy it is. This ensures your furoshiki is high chance of being passed on and spreading and eco-friendly fabric wrapping message on its' journey.
Here are some affordable and eco-friendly ideas for acquiring or making your furoshiki cloths:
1. find scarfs in op-shops
2. find fabric at an op-shop
3. decorate calico fabric using dyes, fabric paint or fabric pens
4. cut up old sheets and decorate them
5. use fabric samples from a recycling centre
6. ask friends who sew for any unwanted over-cuts
7. use a bandana, handkerchief or teatowel (although it's not square you can still use it to flat wrap a present).
Also
Korean wrapping cloths (known as bojagi in Korean) are celebrated for both their form and function. As wrapping cloths, bojagi were used ubiquitously in premodern Korea to wrap items for transport or storage, to cover food, and even to protect precious goods. Designs range from embroidered symbolic depictions of nature to patchworks of random scraps of cloth in an array of colors. Popularly used by all classes of Korean society, these square- or rectangle-shaped textiles were made from various materials such as silk, ramie (a linen- or silk-like fabric made from ramie, a perennial plant from the nettle family native to eastern Asia), gossamer, and cotton. Although historical records like the Samguk sagi (Annals of the Three Kingdoms) indicate the use of bojagi as early as the Three Kingdoms period (57 B.C.–A.D. 668), extant examples are largely from the Joseon period (1392–1910).Covering Cloth (Bojagi), Korea, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), late 19th–early 20th century, Costume Council Fund
Exclusively produced by women, the colorfully creative and whimsical nature of these textiles extols the artistic virtues of Korean women in a society long dominated by the Confucian hierarchy and male intellectual pursuits. Records indicate that making bojagi was a source of bonding and expression for Korean women who sewed their creations to be given as heirloom mementos to their daughters and daughters-in-law.
I love this Japanese art form of reducing my footprint and making art at the same time. My greatest wish is to receive one back wrapped in a gift!!!
I have made a few and they are the examples shown.
When it comes to gift-wrapping furoshiki is the perfect way to convey thoughtfulness and courtesy through the care taken in the choice of wrapping and in the way the fabric is folded and tied.
When plastic bags began being used in Japan, furoshiki use declined substantially. A resurgence in the artform has occurred as environmental awareness is increasing and many modern furoshiki are designed with contemporary fabrics seeking to appeal to younger generations. Whereas regular bags have a fixed amount of space that can only carry a particular type of object, a furoshiki is highly versatile and can be adapted to suit the exacts needs of the specific objects to be carried.
Traditionally both the colour and the printed design on the furoshiki is meaningful, so it's important to choose the correct cloth for the occasion. The giver presents the receiver with the gift, unveils it then keeps the cloth for the next use
FUROSHIKI EMBRACES THE PHILOSOPHY OF ECO-FRIENDLY LIVING BY CHALLENGING US ON HOW MANY ITEMS WE REALLY NEED. THIS BEAUTIFUL AND INGENIOUS ART ALLOWS ONE OBJECT TO HAVE MANY USES SIMPLY BY FOLDING AND TYING THE CLOTH IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
Traditional Furoshiki
While Japanese culture is not alone in using fabric wrapping, furoshiki has a distinctive style reflecting their interest in ceremony, beauty, multi-functional objects and thoughtful detail in their approach to everyday living.
Cloth wrapping has been used for over 1200 years in Japan and the word furoshiki came about during the Edo period (1603-1868) when the cloths were commonly used in bath houses to wrap clothes and as a bath mat. The word furoshiki means 'bath spread'.
Over time, they developed a multitude of uses and patterns that are both elegant and functional. One furoshiki cloth can be used for:
- wrapping a gift
- a bag for shopping
- decorating a handbag
- a picnic hamper
- a tablecloth
- household decor
- a scarf, belt or bandana
- wrapping clothes when travelling
Eco-fabric wrapping
Western culture is beginning to pick up on furoshiki and it's easy to wrap your own gifts. It's even quicker than paper wrapping!
Including some instructions on how to tie a furoshiki as part of your gift is a nice touch, and it's also great to give the person a demonstration to show them just how easy it is. This ensures your furoshiki is high chance of being passed on and spreading and eco-friendly fabric wrapping message on its' journey.
Here are some affordable and eco-friendly ideas for acquiring or making your furoshiki cloths:
1. find scarfs in op-shops
2. find fabric at an op-shop
3. decorate calico fabric using dyes, fabric paint or fabric pens
4. cut up old sheets and decorate them
5. use fabric samples from a recycling centre
6. ask friends who sew for any unwanted over-cuts
7. use a bandana, handkerchief or teatowel (although it's not square you can still use it to flat wrap a present).
Also
Korean wrapping cloths (known as bojagi in Korean) are celebrated for both their form and function. As wrapping cloths, bojagi were used ubiquitously in premodern Korea to wrap items for transport or storage, to cover food, and even to protect precious goods. Designs range from embroidered symbolic depictions of nature to patchworks of random scraps of cloth in an array of colors. Popularly used by all classes of Korean society, these square- or rectangle-shaped textiles were made from various materials such as silk, ramie (a linen- or silk-like fabric made from ramie, a perennial plant from the nettle family native to eastern Asia), gossamer, and cotton. Although historical records like the Samguk sagi (Annals of the Three Kingdoms) indicate the use of bojagi as early as the Three Kingdoms period (57 B.C.–A.D. 668), extant examples are largely from the Joseon period (1392–1910).Covering Cloth (Bojagi), Korea, Joseon dynasty (1392–1910), late 19th–early 20th century, Costume Council Fund
Exclusively produced by women, the colorfully creative and whimsical nature of these textiles extols the artistic virtues of Korean women in a society long dominated by the Confucian hierarchy and male intellectual pursuits. Records indicate that making bojagi was a source of bonding and expression for Korean women who sewed their creations to be given as heirloom mementos to their daughters and daughters-in-law.
