What is the meaning behind kimono patterns?
Chou | 蝶 | Butterflies
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Hand-painted butterfly with golden threading around the outside, flying to a pair of chrysanthemums.
Take a look around and you’ll see butterflies flapping their wings around flowers, although they are somewhat rare on kimonos. Butterflies, known as “chou” (蝶) in Japanese, represent longevity, beauty, and becoming an adult.
The thought of longevity comes from the name having the same sound as one of the Japanese words for long, and the thought of becoming an adult stemming from butterflies being the final stage of metamorphosis. As such, butterflies fairly commonly grace the sleeves and fronts of furisodes, which are commonly used for the coming of age ceremony and graduations.
Tiny white butterfly among large peonies and tulips.
During the Momoyama period (late 16th century), butterflies started to be used on Noh costumes and on kimono sleeves. Butterflies were also used in “yusoku” (有職) patterns during the Heian period. Its use by samurai and nobility caused it to pick up the meaning of immortality as well.
Just like in real life, butterflies on kimonos will flutter around flowers. Although, this may be a cause for concern for weddings, as it could be seen as saying the bride will jump around between a number of men. This thought has also caused the butterfly pattern to be seen in a negative light in some time periods and areas of Japan.
That said, the beauty, longevity, and metamorphosis aspects of butterflies also make this common for wedding attire. You really have to verify what the thoughts of the family and region are before selecting which kimono to wear at a wedding.
Retro style repeating pattern of blue, green, and grey butterflies and similarly-colored phoenixes on a solid off white background..
Certain kinds of swallowtail butterflies can also be seen on many formal or aristocratic patterns, such as inside circles. This is because these have a strong appearance and the circle helps evoke feelings of perfection and immortality.
Butterfly formed via the shibori (tie dye) technique, with spots and lines painted afterwards.
