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GLOBAL KOREA
Experiencing Korea’s Traditional
Boudoir Culture
The Museum of Korean Embroidery
BY PARK MIN-YOUNG
STAFF WRITER
Korean traditional five-sided cushion
Korean traditional spools
The Museum of Korean Embroidery
Fifteen foreign women gathered at The Museum of
Korean Embroidery in Nonhyun-dong, southern
Seoul, on the last day of October to learn how to
make “bojagi,” a Korean traditional wrapping cloth.
The museum held sewing classes from Oct. 28 to
Nov. 3 for migrant women who are married to
Korean men. A total of a hundred women participated
in the program, in which they made five-sided
cushions and bojagi.
“We wanted to teach them Korean culture and history
so that they can better adjust to Korea,” explained
Lee Hye-kyu, the curator of the museum. “Plus, it will
also help them raise their children. Their children will
be Korean. It would be a shame if the mothers didn’t
know anything about Korean women culture.”
The women were eager to learn. Every minute of the
class was vigorous, with all the sewing, fluffing and asking
of questions. No translators were needed — being
wives of Korean men, — most were fluent in Korean.
A Japanese lady who brought her daughter along
to the class stopped her sewing several times to exclaim
“So beautiful!” in Korean, holding up her cushion
with a huge smile.
Established in 1969, The Museum of Korean
Embroidery is practically the only institute in Korea
that displays the cultural assets of Korean women’s
boudoir, such as bojagi, needles, spools and embroideries.
It holds more than 3,000 cultural assets including
a couple of treasures.
The founders of the museum busily ran back and
forth between antique art markets to make the collection.
“These are very precious items, but Koreans didn’t
seem to realize that,” say Huh Dong-hwa, one of the
founding members and the current director of the museum.
“So we decided to collect them, and preserve
them before they all get lost.”
Thanks to their efforts, attention has increased on
the culture of Korean women’s handicrafts.
“About 80 percent of the visitors are foreigners,
since the museum is more famous overseas than in
Korea,” says Lee. “This museum is a must-stop spot for
tourists. Including those held overseas, more than 7
million people have come to our exhibitions.”
The museum has held about 50 exhibitions in other
countries, including the United States, England,
France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Australia, New
Zealand and Japan.
“Western countries don’t have bojagi culture, so
Western people simply think that it is another kind of
painting,” says Huh. “But the thing is that they think
our bojagi is more beautiful than the paintings of famous
Western artists. That is why they get drawn into
bojagi.”
Huh assumes that bojagi started about 1,500 years
ago in Korea, during the Goguryeo Kingdom. “Chinese,
Japanese and Korean bojagi all have their unique styles.
But Korean bojagi is best at pulling out what is supposed
to be the original charm of cloths quilted together — by
delicately showing the stitch marks,” he says.
Now, according to Huh, bojagi is practically considered
a proper noun, like kimchi. “Bojagi is the most
environmentally friendly wrapping material that can
be reused more than a hundred times. It was recently
chosen as the main item in many design shows. As far
as I’m concerned, it is time for revolution of bojagi.”
The museum plans to hold the education program
every year. “Next year, it will be bigger and we will
invite people from more countries,” says Huh.
Meanwhile, the museum is holding “The
Exhibition of Korean Traditional Spool” through
Migrant wives concentrate on making five-sided
cushions (top) pose with their work
March 5. A total of 150 spools made of various materials,
such as stone, cow bone, ivory, straw and embroidered
cloth, are displayed.
Some were used by the common people, and some
were only used inside the palace by the royal family
and aristocrats. People carved in little passages hoping
for happiness in the family or a baby boy.
To get to the museum, get off at Hakdong Station,
subway line No. 7, and come out of exit No. 10. For
more information, contact www.bojagii.com ■
22 KOREA DECEMBER 2008
DECEMBER 2008 KOREA 23