A pollack cut from large-check gingham cotton, in pink, red or blue against white, with a single black bead for an eye. Ivory silk thread, twisted into a thick cord, wraps the body once and runs up to a white ring clasp. The fabric is cut from checked yardage, so the squares meet the seam differently on every fish and no two are laid out the same way. The dried pollack bound in silk thread and hung by the door, aengmagi myeongtae (액막이 명태), is still a standard gift at a Korean housewarming or a shop opening: the fish keeps bad luck outside. This one is soft and light, 15.5cm nose to tail and about 19cm counting the loop, so it hangs from a door handle, a hook, a shelf edge or a bag strap. Cotton throughout, so it washes: cold water, on its own. The same fish also comes in two floral prints, Roa, a red, yellow and pink floral, and Blair, a blue floral on white. Wash in cold water, separately. Do not bleach or tumble dry.
