Information:
"Ichimatsu-mon (x pattern)" is a pattern which has been used in Japan since ancient times. It is also called arare ("hail") or ishidatami ("stone pavement"). During the Edo Period (1603-1868) in Japan, a famous kabuki actor named Sanogawa Ichimatsu was fond of this pattern, and used cloth with this pattern for his traditional clothing. As a result, the pattern increased in popularity, and came to be commonly known as Ichimatsu-mon.
This original chiyogami design features an array of two different colored squares.
There are red, blue, and green versions available for download.
Chiyogami had its beginnings in Kyoto during the Edo period (1603 - 1867). It began with flowers, birds, and other patterns from nature, popular subjects in the Yuzen* patterns, drawn onto Japanese paper. Such paper came to be printed using the woodblock printing technology of Edo (present-day Tokyo), and incorporated other patterns used in colored prints of the day. The paper soon became popular throughout Japan.
*Yuzen: Japanese traditional dyeing technique that originated in the 8th century created by painter Yuzen Miyazaki. |
