Crane

鶴 tsuru

Crane

"The crane lives a thousand years": the crane is the pre-eminent symbol of longevity and of a happy, faithful marriage, used at weddings and New Year.

Chinese immortal (Shenxian) imagery, reaching Japan around the 11th century; kimono use from the 16th–17th centuries

In China, cranes carrying immortals such as Fukurokuju stood for long life, and the idea reached Japan around the 11th century. Cranes appear on kimono by the 16th century and became popular lucky designs in the 17th, often with tortoises, pine, bamboo and plum on the formal robes of samurai-class women, which became the model for the bridal uchikake. Unlike the chrysanthemum, the crane was never reserved for the imperial house, so it spread widely.

A pair of cranes on a wedding uchikake wishes for a long, harmonious marriage; also standard at New Year.

Technique catalog · draft for review

Every way to wrap, carry and wear a furoshiki.

The furoshiki.com archive, sliced into annotated steps with plain directions, plus techniques found in research.