I’ve been reshuffling my studio, to make room for a laminating press I recently bought, and I had to find a new home for one of my prize possessions—a lovely piece of fabric given to me by Kumi Korf. It’s the kind of wrapping cloth she uses to transport her books. I’ve long forgotten the name of the wrap, but that very same day, I read a post entitled An Offbeat History of Wrapping Paper which mentions this Japanese wrap
Take the eco-friendly Japanese wrap, the furoshiki. These lovely, reusable cloth wrappers were originally used to bundle up personal effects while visiting public baths. Gradually, they broadened in use to an all-purpose wrap, including concealing gifts. Furoshiki date back to at least the Edo period (1603–1868) and combine a beautiful concealment with portability and craft.
And it mentions a youtube video that elegantly shows the many ways to tie up furoshiki into a bundle. The photo is my own furoshiki, carefully protecting several of my books.