# Overlapping tortoise shell with rings

重ね亀甲に輪 kasane kikkō ni wa

![Overlapping tortoise shell with rings](https://www.furoshiki.com/swatches/kasane-kikko-ni-wa.svg)

Tortoise-shell (kikkō) lines branching in threes, with rings interlaced around their junctions; a longevity pattern often used on Noh costumes, suited to formal occasions.

Variant of the kikkō (tortoise-shell) family; date unknown

Part of the large family of tortoise-shell patterns that came from China and became Heian court yūsoku designs, later taken up by warriors and noh costume makers. Combining kikkō with circles was a recognised practice. This interlaced form, with rings around the Y-shaped junctions, is cited by mathematicians as a Japanese example of the p3m1 wallpaper symmetry.

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Source: https://www.furoshiki.com/patterns/kasane-kikko-ni-wa/