Christo's wrapped objects and packages, which he began to produce in 1958 shortly after his escape from Eastern Europe, reflect his first impressions of Western commercial packaging. The artist completely covered their contents with often intricately folded fabric and bound them with rope or twine. Remaining forever veiled, the packages tempt viewers with their unknown interiors, yet if a package were to be opened, the work would be destroyed. The artist played upon this notion by mailing a package in 1962 to the American artist Ray Johnson, who opened it to find a photograph of the package and a note informing him that he had ruined the work of art.

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