01
Where it comes from
Maple leaves turn from green to red and gold as autumn deepens. People in Japan began to admire the red leaves around the Heian period, and have gone out to the hills each autumn to see them. The colors that come with the cold can also be read as a beauty that ripens with time. On cloth, maple leaves often float on flowing water, a pairing called tatsutagawa, after a river sung in old poems for its autumn leaves.
02
On the cloth
On obi, maple leaves may fall one by one across the ground, or drift in clusters beside other motifs. Here they scatter among fans on gold with black and many colors; and on black, fans with tassels fall among maple leaves in gold, vermilion, and silver white.
03
To give
Maple suits an autumn birthday, a long marriage, or a new season later in life. It is a gift for someone whose years you feel have only grown richer.
A word to keep
紅葉狩り
momijigari
Going out to see the autumn leaves. Looking for color in the hills.
Two questions
What does the Maple (紅葉) pattern mean?
A wish for years that deepen in color. Maple suits an autumn birthday, a long marriage, or a new season later in life.
Where does the 紅葉 pattern come from?
Maple leaves turn from green to red and gold as autumn deepens. People in Japan began to admire the red leaves around the Heian period, and have gone out to the hills each autumn to see them.
