Packaging and Packages

Jewelry boxes are some of the most beautiful types of packages. Jewelry boxes can come in a variety of ways from deep laquered finishes with pearl inlays from Japan and Korea, to ornately carved boxes from Italy and France. There are various types of boxes, pakaging, and wrapping. The bulk of my research has been on a variety of now-a-days packaging, but, for the sake of my project I would like to include various other types of historical packages. In Europe as in many other countries on of the most precious time in a persons life is marriage. In todays modern society, in the west the idea of a dowery has faded off , almost completely. However some of the most elaborate and ornate packages are those associated with weddings. In Korea the idea of an exchange of gifts between the families countinues, and even in today's western society it still lives on though it is much diluted. However, among the royals in europe, large coffers were used to give a gift to the wife's family in exchange for the marriage. These large packages would be sent filled with treasures, often jewels.

Through my research I found that most countries with more upper class living tend to have more elaborate packaging. Also I have concluded that the more value an object has placed on it the more elaborate the packages to contain this object become. For instance a set of earings from the dollar store will most likely be put in a bag , while real diamond earings will more likely be put in a see through snap case lined with velvet or silk. Either way, the case or the bag, once the earings have been taken out by who ever puts them on, the packaging will most likely be tossed into the garbage.

Here in the United States of America, almost always you can find packaged foods in our supermarkets. These hotdogs (used almost everyday in my family) used to come in one time openable packages, but now due to want for fresher products, the plastic packages are now resealable, and are also seperated into two parts. Hot dogs originally were cut from the cow, pig or whatever, and then given to people from the butcher in a paper bag or just paper. This developed into a more sophisticated form(the resealable plastic bags)

Cereal also has had a changeCereal can come in boxes, bags, or in a bag inside a box. Food packaging vaires from country to country.
For instance the way Japanese sell lunch boxes in their supermarkets is in divided, compartmented hard plastic or wooden boxes. We can compaire these to America`s Lunchables . Although still in Russia Many times there is almost no packaging that is disposable for a luch box. Many times we often pack our lunches in plastic containers here, but in some tribes in Africa they just catch their food and have no need of packaging.

Chocolates are another big Item through out the world. Here is a an example of one of Australia‘s chocolate packages it has no compartments and allows the chocolates to roam free inside the box. It is however well decorated with color. It also has a plastic see through window so that you can see what is inside. The one on the right is from America. it is divided into seperate compartments for each chocolate. Note how they have two forms of seperation,the cardboard walls, and also the paper cup thingies. In Austria Chocolate is a big thing and they often wrap thier chocolates individually. Also the chocolates have different shapes specifically for each type of chocolate. Like America the chocolates are put in paper cups(after individual wrapping), but then the chocolates each have their own compartment according to their shapes. After a padding is put over the chocolates between the top of the box and the wrapped chocolates.Then they wrap the whole thing in plastic, and tie a ribbon on it.

People from different cultures also highly value musical instuments. This varies from the hard cases and soft bags that most advanced countries use This guitar case from Brazil is now up to a standard with America and other countries. It is a hard wooden case, lined with a fur like substance, and on the outside layered with leather This bagpipe bag from Scotland is made from nylon, and it is flexible to be able to easily fit the bag pipes. The bag has a few compartments that are hard though in order to keep the mouth piece from being hurt in any way. In poorer countries like Peru there are often times when the only thing that protects the instruments are imported or made in the likeness of another countries package or where there is no protective case or package used at all.

Japan packages things by far in the most elaborate ways. Even in packages that hold chopsticks are very ornately. Here are some examples of both permanent and disposable packaging from Japan for chopsticks. The permanent wooden box, in this case, is ornately laquored, and comprises of a variety of components to hold the chopsticks most effectively. There is a fabric band holding the chopsticks in place. Also within the box is padding, the padding is there to protect the chopsticks laquor finish. Another way that chopsticks are packed is the plain paper method that would be found in almost any Korean or Chinese food shop. This way of packing the chopsticks is less ornate probably because the factthat the chopsticks are just wood, and also probably out of the American convention to use as little of the least expensive stuff as nessasary to package.

Cigarett boxes and cigar boxes come in various sizes each to it‘s own, This is one type of packaging that is often collected by people who are addictted to their contents. In this case the packages have not only been artistically decorated, but also many times contain specialities to them to make them more useful, not just as a package, but as a utensile as well. Cigar boxes often times have built in clippers and lighters so that the box becomes all that is needed to enjoy the contents. Here is an example of one such collectors item. These are Japanese ciggarett cases. This one is especially interesting because it is also a trick box. it has a special wooden slide that can hold the ciggaretts inside the case. This type of pakage won‘t be thrown away, and the Japanese are famous for this type of puzzle box.

American Indian "Medicine Bags", like this one are not nessasarily disposable, but they do hold a special value in rituals performed, espcially they are used to hold herbs during rights of assention to the after life, rain dances, and various other times the medicine man is called upon. This type of package is made from the skins of an animal, and are made with as few seems as possible. The seems that must be there are sewn together in the tightest way possible so that they do not let any of the herbs out.

Side note: little children are often called small packages or little bundles of joy. Baby picture

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