Thunder fret

雷文 raimon

Thunder fret

A square-spiral meander for thunder. Thunder brings rain for crops, so it stands for protection and prosperity; Chinese in origin, often used as a border.

Ancient China (Shang and Zhou bronzes)

The square spiral grew out of Shang-dynasty pictographs for clouds and thunder and decorates Shang and Zhou ritual bronzes, standing for rain and abundance. It continued on Chinese ceramics and textiles and came to Japan as a Chinese ornament, used on textiles, architecture and as a border. In modern Japan it is best known as the band around ramen bowls, a nod to the dish's Chinese roots.

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.