Common Motifs: Kikkou - Turtle Shell

Tonight's motif takes us to the animal world: if you see abstract-looking hexagons on Japanese textiles, you're looking down at turtle shells, or "kikkou" 亀甲 (sometimes shortened to "kikko" on English pages). Considered a year-round and auspicious motif, they're often mixed with flowers or other designs. Here are some examples below, with a michiyuki (overcoat), fukuro obi detail, and yukata cotton bolt.

If you'd like to read more in this series, you can search "common motif" to see other entries. All photos copyright Ichiroya and used with permission.