Round Straw Container

Dunggumi is a round straw container with a deep woven side. It is often used to contain grains and vegetables and was carried on a person’s head or by hand, or used to store a small quantity of grains such as beans and red beans. Since it was made and used in farming households, there was no standardized capacity, varying from about 35 to 55 ℓ, to as much as 90 ℓ. It was most commonly made to a size that could be filled with grains and carried by one person alone. The body is woven in a round shape using straw, as with a straw bag, while the side is woven deep. Sometimes, bush clover barks are also woven along with the straws to create patterns. The most common material used was straw, but occasionally, paper strings and hemp barks were also used. There is a Korean proverb that says, “A beauty is beautiful even when wearing myeok,” where the myeok refers to myeok dunggumi.