蝶
THE MEANINGS WOVEN IN
chō
A wish to change and begin again, as a butterfly does.
Butterfly
A new beginning →01
Where it comes from
Chō is the butterfly, most often drawn as the swallowtail for the beauty of its markings. A caterpillar sheds its skin, rests as a still chrysalis, and comes out changed, so the butterfly was taken as a sign of rebirth and of a life that does not end. Its name also sounds like chō, a word for excelling, and chō, a word for an even number, both heard as good signs.
02
On the cloth
Butterflies have been drawn round as chō no maru, or as one, two facing, three, or four together. In the Heian period, the outspread butterfly called fusechō is said to have decorated court carriages, fabrics, and metal fittings, and in the Kamakura period, warriors favored the swallowtail at rest on their armor. Butterflies often fly among grasses such as susuki, and among peony and cherry.
03
To give
The butterfly suits a fresh start, a graduation, or a turn in life. It is for someone you hope will come through a change and find their own colors.
A word to keep
蝶の丸
chō no maru
A butterfly drawn into a circle. One of the most common ways the butterfly appears in pattern.
Two questions
What does the Butterfly (蝶) pattern mean?
A wish to change and begin again, as a butterfly does. The butterfly suits a fresh start, a graduation, or a turn in life.
Where does the 蝶 pattern come from?
Chō is the butterfly, most often drawn as the swallowtail for the beauty of its markings. A caterpillar sheds its skin, rests as a still chrysalis, and comes out changed, so the butterfly was taken as a sign of rebirth and of a life that does not end.
