THE MEANINGS WOVEN IN
麻の葉
asanoha
A wish for a child to grow tall and strong.
Hemp Leaf
01
Where it comes from
Six diamonds meet at a point, like the leaves of the hemp plant. Hemp grows quickly and straight, and needs little care to do it. For that reason the pattern has long been sewn into clothes for newborns, with the hope that a child would grow up healthy and strong. Its sharp, even lines have also been said to keep bad things away.
02
On the cloth
On kimono and obi, asanoha may cover the cloth as a fine lattice, or appear in small patches beside flowers. Here it hides on the back of a reversible cover: the front is a silver hexagon weave, and the reverse opens into hemp leaves in cream and pale pink.
03
To give
Asanoha has been given at a birth, and for a child's first celebrations. It also suits anyone starting something they hope will grow straight and sure.
