THE MEANINGS WOVEN IN
鱗
uroko
A wish to be kept from harm, and to begin again.
Scales
01
Where it comes from
Triangles meet point to point, like the scales of a snake, a fish, or a dragon. Because a snake sheds its skin and comes out new, the pattern has long been said to ward off bad luck and to carry a hope of renewal. In Noh and kabuki it has marked the robes of characters who change their form. Its simple shape also made it a family crest.
02
On the cloth
On kimono and obi, uroko often appears as a bold ground of triangles in two colors, sometimes with gold or silver so the scales catch the light. It can also sit small, as a border, or inside another shape.
03
To give
Uroko has been given in a year people want to be protected, and to someone making a fresh start. It suits a friend who is shedding an old season and stepping into a new one.
A word to keep
厄除け
yakuyoke
Warding off misfortune. The wish people have given to this pattern.
