Kimono Glossary

Kanekin

2021-02-18T13:33:00.000+09:00

かねきん・ kanekin

Name for the collar of hanten. Many times black.

#hanten #eri

Goshoguruma

2020-09-13T16:37:00.006+09:00

御所車・ごしょぐるま・ goshoguruma

Imperial ox cart. Oxcart. A two or four-wheeled cart pulled by oxen used by the imperial family and aristocracy in early Japan (1477~). It is a recurring motif in kimono designs and the cart is often depicted without the oxen. The term also refers to the stylized shape of the wheel of an oxcart used in kamon (family crest) design.

The carts have typical bamboo shades that can be rolled up to allow a view outside. Also called genjiguruma (源氏車・げんじぐるま), since it is seen the illustrations in the Tale of Genji (Genji Monogatari).

#cart #ox

Koushi

2020-08-10T17:37:00.004+09:00

格子・こうし・ koushi

Lattice. Grid. In relation to kimono designs it mostly refers to a simple pattern made of intersecting (evenly spaced) parallel lines. The lines can either be horizontally and vertically or diagonally oriented.

#mesh

Fundou-tsunagi

2020-08-09T13:37:00.004+09:00

分銅繋ぎ・ふんどうつなぎ・ fundoutsunagi

A pattern consisting of diagonally crossing wavy lines creating a repeating (linked) pattern of fundou. Fundou refers to a Japanese weight used in the Edo period that (slightly) resembles the shape of a stylized silkworm cocoon (silk was a valuable commodity). The shape is still used on maps as a symbol for banks. The pattern is mostly used in a line design as a background.

Narihira-goushi

2020-08-09T12:56:00.009+09:00

業平格子・なりひらごうし・ narihiragoushi | なりひらこうし・ narihirakoushi

A diagonal lattice pattern that creates a grid of diamond shapes. Two major versions of the pattern exist, one version where each (or some) of the diamonds shapes have center lines and small "crosses" in the center, and one version where the grid is created with double lines and empty diamonds.

It often consists of double (or triple) lines for the main diamond grid with a single centerline. The crosses can be either plus signs or small petal-like shapes.

The pattern can be used as-is as a background or in combination with different elements. Sometimes combined with other designs filling adjacent diamond shapes.

Not to be confused with the hanabishi pattern.

Supposedly named after a Heian period poet (在原業平) who liked the pattern, and popularized by a famous Kabuki actor in the Edo period. Koushi (格子) means lattice in Japanese.

#lozenge

Higaki

2020-08-09T12:10:00.003+09:00

檜垣・ひがき・ higaki

A pattern based on diagonally woven strips of cypress (hinoki). The design looks like a repeating pattern of diagonally placed rectangles.

Sometimes referred to as higaki-ajiro (檜垣網代), ajiro meaning wickerwork. Used to create fences or fishing implements,

#basket #grid

Ahime

2020-08-09T11:27:00.005+09:00

網目・あみめ・ ahime

Mesh. A pattern based on a fishing net. The name refers to the shape of the openings (eyes) in the net pattern. The design looks like a repeating pattern of touching (sinus) wave lines.

The pattern can be both vertically or horizontally oriented.

Kumi-kikkou

2020-08-09T10:57:00.006+09:00

組亀甲・くみきっこう・ kumikikkou

A mesh pattern that creates (a divided) hexagon (turtle shell) design. A pattern consisting of repeating (inverted) capital Y shapes. The Y shapes can be plain but often feature a centerline and/or rounded corners. The pattern resembles a bishamon-kikkou based mesh pattern.

Although it looks like a basket weave pattern, the Y shapes would make it impossible to weave from single fibers.

#kumikikko #kiko

Egasuri

2020-08-08T12:39:00.004+09:00

絵絣・えがすり・ egasuri

A type of kasuri (ikat) with woven drawing like designs. Literally picture kasuri. Mainly woven with the design applied to the weft. The designs include many (traditional) patterns en imagery and are in general more complex than the standard kasuri patterns.

Juuji

2020-08-08T10:40:00.005+09:00

十字・じゅうじ・ juuji

Cross. A basic shape consisting of two crossed lines. The Japanese character for 10 (ten). In most designs, the crossed lines are of equal length and crossed at the center creating a plus (+) sign. The juuji shape is one of the basic kasuri patterns.

#ジュウジ #juji #kasuri

Igeta

2020-08-07T16:44:00.000+09:00

井桁・いげた・ igeta | 井筒・いづつ・ izutsu ・ idzutsu

The shape of a well's edge made of crossed beams as viewed from above. Hashmark (#). A design consisting of two pairs of crossed lines. A cross or square formed with four slightly overlapping lines. The design is used as a basic kasuri pattern in woven fabrics. The shape can also be rotated (sometimes slightly compressed) so it forms a diamond.

Izutsu is also used to refer to the same shape (it is the top part of a well often made with beams).

#kasuri

Yaburesayagata

2020-08-06T22:37:00.002+09:00

破れ紗綾形・やぶれさやがた・ yaburesayagata

Literally broken saya(gata) pattern. A partial (torn) sayagata design. The edges of the broken pattern can either be clean or have a "torn" look. Used as-is or combined with other design elements.

Himawari

2020-08-05T15:53:00.000+09:00

向日葵・ひまわり・ himawari

Sunflower. A large yellow flower. Often used in large designs on yukata.

Sunflowers were brought to Japan in the early Edo period.

#はな #花 #ヒマワリ

Kamakiri

2020-08-04T08:29:00.002+09:00

螳螂・かまきり・ kamakiri

Mantis. Praying mantis. Kamakiri are predatory insects with large folded scythe like forelegs that they use to catch their prey. In general they tend to blend in with their environment waiting for prey. They live for a couple of months during summer molding several times. The female mantis creates a capsule like egg case (ootheca) that contains hundreds of small mantis eggs that hatch the next spring.

#カマキリ #insect

Semi

2020-08-04T08:11:00.003+09:00

蝉・セミ・ semi | 蟬

Cicada. Cicada produce the typical (loud) background sound of summer. Different types of cicada with different calls can be found in Japan. Cicada spent most of their life underground as a nymph (up to 14 years), and when they finally emerge and turn into their adult form (imago) they only live for a couple of weeks.

#せみ #insect

Kagome

2020-08-03T18:47:00.007+09:00

籠目・かごめ・ kagome

A repeating pattern that is based on a woven basket mesh. Basketweave pattern. Although the pattern often is rendered with the weaving lines realistically overlapping it can also refer to a basic line design with a similar pattern.

Based on the weaves used in traditional bamboo baskets. Kago (籠) means basket while me (目) means eye in Japanese, referring to the open spaces created by the woven pattern.

The most common open weave patterns are:

Mutsume-ami (六つ目編み) - An open weave creating a shape consisting of six-pointed stars (hexagrams) with large hexagon shaped openings.
Oukagome (大籠目) or yotsume-ami (四つ目編み) - A basic (mostly) diagonal open, alternating over-under, weave with small square openings.
Asanoha-ami (麻の葉編み) - This weave creates an asanoha-like design with identically sized triangle-shaped openings.

Maybe technically not related to kimono patterns, but included for reference, two common closed basket weaves are:

Goza-ami (ござ編み) - A basic horizontal closed alternating over-under weave.
Ajiro-ami (網代編み・アジロ編み) - A closed weave creating an arrow-like pattern.

#okagome

Karakusa

2020-08-02T08:11:00.008+09:00

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.

#plant

http://www.heldermann-verlag.de/jgg/jgg01_05/jgg0504.pdf

Matsu

2020-08-02T07:44:00.006+09:00

松・まつ・ matsu

Pine. Pine tree. Often depicted as a stylized design, showing the crest as a curved symmetrical cloud like shape with branches inside the shape radiating from the bottom either with or without the trunk of the tree. Associated with luck and longevity.

#tree

Matsuba

2020-08-02T07:22:00.000+09:00

松葉・まつば・ matsuba

Pine needle. Leaf (ha) of the pine tree (matsu). Stylized as two outward pointing curved lines connected at the end. Considered a lucky pattern. Often used as a repeating (komon) pattern called matsubachirashi (松葉散らし・まつばちらし) showing scattered pine-needles.

#マツバ #komon

Yukiwa

2020-08-01T08:07:00.004+09:00

雪輪・ゆきわ・ yukiwa

Snowflake. Snow-crystal. As stylized round shape representing a snowflake. The design is a rounded hexagonal shape with symmetrical edges and indentations. Although most shapes have six segments, there are designs that have more sides. It is both used as-is as an outline or filled shape, or used in combination with other elements. Often the relation with snow and other elements is not clear and it looks like the shape is merely used as an element in the design.

#snow #ユキワ

Kasumi

2020-08-01T07:50:00.001+09:00

霞・かすみ・ kasumi

Mist. Haze. A stylized design of mist banks or clouds. Often depicted as interconnected horizontal shapes with rounded corners, creating the impression of floating clouds of mist. The motif can be used as-is, but is often part of an overall design.

Although as a pattern in kimono design the word kasumi mostly comes up, there are several words to indicate haze, mist, and fog in Japanese used depending on the type and/or season. Kasumi (霞・かすみ, -gasumi) and oboro (朧・おぼろ) refer to haze and mist of spring, whereas kiri (霧・きり, -giri) refers to the fog of autumn and winter. Kasumi mostly refers to mist or haze in daytime or evening. Oboro seems to refer more to nightly mist or haze. Summer being in between uses a mix of kasumi and kiri.

#雲 #cloud #scenery #weather

Koujitsunagi

2020-07-31T19:49:00.004+09:00

工字繋ぎ・こうじつなぎ・ koujitsunagi

A repeating geometric pattern made up of interlocking kou (工) kanji. The design is often angled and slightly skewed. The endless repeating pattern is associated with longevity. Easily confused with the negative space in the similar sayagata pattern.

The name literally translates to linked-kou-characters.

#kojitsunagi #kouji-tsunagi

Sayagata

2020-07-31T18:41:00.005+09:00

紗綾形・さやがた・ sayagata

A repeating geometric pattern consisting of connected left and right facing manji (swastikas). A manji is a traditional Buddhist symbol. The design is often angled and slightly skewed. Frequently used as a basic background weave in rinzu (satin damask) fabrics, but can also be used as a large all-over pattern or in combination with other designs. Both the line design and negative space between the lines are used as a design element. It is considered a lucky pattern.

The pattern is named after the fact that it was one of the patterns commonly woven in saya, a glossy silk fabric that was popular in the Momoyama and early Edo period in Japan.

#サヤガタ #saya-gata

Karabana

2020-07-31T18:11:00.000+09:00

唐花・からばな・karabana

An imaginary stylized flower design. The flowers have four, five, or six symmetrically arranged petals each with a three-part rounded tip.

The design is said to be a stylized flower created by combining elements of different flowers like peony (botan) and lotus (hasu) flowers.

#カラハナ #flower

Tatewaku

2020-07-31T17:39:00.001+09:00

立涌・たてわく・ tatewaku | たちわく・ tachiwaku

Rising steam. A repeated vertical geometric design consisting of wavy lines where the space between two neighboring lines gets bigger and smaller in a consistently repeating pattern. The design can consist of simple lines or colored areas outlining the shapes of the pattern, or the pattern can be combined (filled) with different other patterns. The design is most often displayed as a repeating all-over pattern but also exists as a scattered or partial pattern.

Many combinations of the pattern exist.

Kikutatewaku (菊立涌・きくたてわく) - A very common combination of a tatewaku pattern filled with stylized (often diamond/lozenge-shaped) chrysanthemum (kiku) flowers.
Hanabishitatewaku (花菱立涌・はなびしたてわく) - A tatewaku pattern filled with (mostly) vertical lozenge-shaped (hishi) stylized flowers (hana). The flowers are commonly karabana (an imaginary flower).
Kumotatewaku (雲立涌・くもたてわく) - A tatewaku pattern filled with a cloud pattern (kumo).
Karakusatatewaku (唐草立涌・からくさたてわく) - A tatewaku design filled/combined with vines (karakusa).
Namitatewaku (波立涌・なみたてわく) - A Tatewaku pattern filled with a wave design.

Many other combinations with different patterns and flowers exist. A combination of tatewaku and ume (plum) would not surprisingly be called ume-tatewaku (梅立涌・うめたてわく) or tatewaku-ni-ume (立涌に梅, ume inside tatewaku).

#タテワク