唐草 ・ からくさ ・ karakusa
Vines. Arabesque. A stylized design of vines. A winding pattern of connected curves representing vines. The vines are often shown as a never-ending repeating pattern of connected curled lines with little leaves. The pattern is used as-is or combined with flowers or other elements.
The word literally means Chinese plant but can be loosely translated as foreign- or winding-plant.
Furoshiki (wrapping cloth) with the pattern were at one time so popular, that they could be found in almost every household, and so were easily available for burglars to carry away the stolen goods (much like a pillow case), creating the cliche image of a burglar.