Children at play

童 warabe

Children at play

Children at play (warabe, or karako in the Chinese style), a wish for healthy, happy children; a baby and family-gift motif.

Chinese 'children at play' (karako asobi) painting, Song dynasty; in Japan through Kano painting and ukiyo-e

Paintings of Chinese children at play, often with the god Hotei, were a favourite subject of Song Academy painters. In Japan Kano school artists painted them often, ukiyo-e artists such as Harunobu and Kiyonaga made playful parodies, and the motif spread to ceramics and lacquer. Children at play came to express the wish for many healthy children.

Used on children's kimono and on gifts for births and family celebrations.

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.