Overlapping tortoise shell with rings

重ね亀甲に輪 kasane kikkō ni wa

Overlapping tortoise shell with rings

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.

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.