Willow

柳 yanagi

Willow

Willow bends without breaking, a symbol of resilience and grace; a spring motif, often paired with swallows or cherry blossom.

Man'yōshū (8th century); Heian court colours

Willow appears in the 8th-century Man'yōshū and in Heian court culture, which had a 'willow' colour combination (white over green) and willow-patterned weaves in the Utsubo monogatari. It is the November card in hanafuda, with swallow and with the calligrapher Ono no Michikaze, who was inspired by a frog leaping again and again to reach a willow branch. A willow-tree spirit is also the subject of the kabuki and jōruri play Sanjūsangendō munagi no yurai (1731).

Willow-and-swallow is a spring kimono motif.

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.