Beauty of Korean, Turkish wrapping cloths shown side by side in Ankara

A rare exhibition that compares the culture of wrapping cloths of Korea and Turkey will be held next week in the Turkish capital Ankara, as part of the celebration of the year of cultural exchange between the two countries.

The exhibition, scheduled to be held from June 12 to July 27 at the State Art and Sculpture Museum in Ankara, presents a rare collection of Turkish wrapping cloth “bohca” along with Korean “bojagi.” 

“We always thought the culture of wrapping cloth was unique to Korea and Japan. But it exists in Turkey. We found out when a Turkish Ambassador in Seoul saw our bojagi exhibition held at the Korean foreign minister’s residence in Seoul earlier last year and told us Turkey has the same culture,” said Huh Dong-hwa, director of the Museum of Korean Embroidery, who is contributing Korean bojagi pieces for the upcoming exhibition.

The cultural encounter led the two countries to plan the exhibition “The Encounter of Bohca and Bojagi” with 20 pieces of Turkish bohca and 44 pieces of Korean bojagi on display.

The exhibition will show some of the similarities in the wrapping cloth culture of the two countries ― similarities in usage, function, design and fabric.

Just as bojagi was used in Korea, the Turkish people used bohca to carry everyday objects and wrap gifts to be delivered to the bride and the groom. Silk or cottonseed are used to make bohca and bojagi and both types of wrapping cloth are square in shape and made with patches of cloth or decorated with embroidery. 

While Korean bojagi has a simpler and more elegant appeal with geometrical patterns from patches of cloth, Turkish bohca are fancy, using natural patterns made with gold and silver threads.

“The pronunciations of bohca and bojagi are very similar. I don’t know whether there was a cultural exchange in the old days. But their likeness leaves us in no doubt that Korea and Turkey shared a culture that resembled each other very much,” said Huh.

However, there is very little research on the Turkish bohca, according to Huh.

“I hope the exhibition triggers further research of the Turkish wrapping cloth culture. It means a lot because we are finding a culture that seems to have been lost in our memory,” said Huh.

The exhibition is being organized by the Korean Cultural Center in Turkey, the Museum of Korean Embroidery, the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Ankara Olgunlasma Institute.

Alongside the exhibition, artworks of director Huh of the Museum of Korean Embroidery will be on exhibit at the Korean Cultural Center in Ankara from June 13-July 27.

Huh, who established the Museum of Korean Embroidery in 1976, has devoted much of his life to collecting works of bojagi and embroidery pieces. He has also been making collages and paintings inspired by his collection.

By Lee Woo-young  (wylee@heraldcorp.com)