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| Koryo (Korea) | Himalaya (Bhutan) | Taj (India) | Oribe (Japan) | Ming (China) |
Gift Wrapping with Scarves Make the gift wrap part of the present! The Japanese have been wrapping gifts in fabric squares (called furoshiki) for centuries, and the idea suits modern environmentally conscious attitudes - nothing gets thrown away! Unwrapping a present wrapped in a scarf is especially pleasurable as not only do you discover what the present is, you also see the design of the scarf in its entirety. Once unwrapped, the scarf easily reverts to use as a fashion accessory (perhaps with the help of a quick iron). This is a great way to add some lasting value to a present destined for quick consumption, such as a bottle of wine or a box of chocolates. 1. Gift wrapping a box Easy and much prettier than using paper and sticky tape! If the contents of the box are fairly light, the knot can be used as a carrying handle for the gift. Place the box in the centre of the scarf so that each side of the box faces a corner of the scarf (see diagram). Fold two opposite corners of the scarf over the box, one over the other. Then fold the remaining two corners of the scarf over the box and tie together in a square knot.  2. Gift wrapping a bottle A great way to add an extra special touch to a bottle-shaped gift - from an anniversary bottle of champagne to a humble bottle of wine. Place the bottle in the centre of the scarf, then bring two opposite corners together and tie them over the top of the bottle in a square knot. Take the two remaining corners and carefully cross them over each other as you wrap them around the body of the bottle - you may need to scrunch them up or fold them inwards on themselves in order to make this look neat. Bring both corners together at the front of the bottle and tie in a square knot.  From the TASARAM collection: The Koryo Scarf Inspired by the celadon-glazed ceramics of Korea's ancient Koryo Dynasty
 The crane, cloud and willow tree motifs of the Koryo Scarf are inspired by the celadon-glazed ceramics that were perfected in Korea during the Koryo Dynasty (916-1392).Such was the passion of Korean aristocracy for the refined grey-green hue of celadon ceramics that not only vases, dishes and incense burners, but also hair oil bottles and even roof tiles were created with celadon glazes. The shimmering lustre of the glaze is notoriously hard to achieve and requires the ceramic to be fired twice at high temperatures.  Celadon ceramics were often enhanced by auspicious patterns and motifs, typically flowers and foliage, cranes and curling stylised clouds. These motifs were first incised into the body of the unfired pot, then the grooves were painstakingly inlaid using white and red clays. During firing the white clay retains its colour, and the red clay turns black. Cranes are a favourite motif in both Korean and Chinese art. Associated with Taoist mythology, they symbolise longevity and the flight upwards towards paradise.So renowned were the celadon ceramics of the Koryo dynasty that the Chinese, themselves masters of ceramics, designated them 'the best under heaven' and traders from as far away as Arabia sang their praises. Despite many attempts to match the depth and hue of the glazes and the grace and spontaneity of the motifs, Koryo celadon ceramics have never been equalled and today fetch huge sums on the international art market.
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