蝶 | チョウ | Butterfly | Patterns #21

Butterflies represent the motif of transformation and renewal. They are most often also representative of spirits passing from one world to the next, sometimes who have taken their lives together to elope into the other world.[1][2][5] They also symbolise the maturity of young girls becoming young women.[3] Other meanings can also include intrigue, and it is said if the butterfly is captured this will dispel this.[5] Tsukure obi ( つくれ帯 | Pre-tied Belt ) are commonly tied in a Butterfly knot (Cho Musubi | 蝶結び ).[4] Even updoes take their cues from Butterflies, in the style of the Yoko-Hyogo (Butterfly Hairstyle).[5]

Presents for a loved one (c.1810, PD/CC1.0) Ryuuryuukyo Shinsai

Historically Butterflies have long carried connotations of the otherworld, and thus appear in a number of family crests. Some of the earliest artistic depictions come from the Heian period, in turn influenced by Chinese philosophy about the fleeting, transitory nature of butterflies in the lives of human as in the story of Zhuang Zhi who dreamt of being a butterfly and then got confused about being a human or a butterfly, because he could.[3][5] Butterflies commonly appeared in many artistic mediums of the early Edo period, including Kimono, woodcuts and Origami designs.[3] This is mostly from the 1660 onwards obsession of Komin to depict Yuujo and stage performers. Even Hokusai involved himself in the depiction of this famous motif.[3] Unfortunately, the Long character/stereotype 'Cho-Cho' (1904) also means butterfly and in this way is also adopted in Occidental Literature to denote fragility, submissiveness and other surface aesthetic notions of Japanese culture. The 1900s-1950s saw a rise in the use of the motif as more families derived on the national surplus from Japan Inc. were able to buy their children fancier wafuku such as Furisode, a popular trend in the 1930's was to have these lined with gold which in the modern day has become just a white outline. 

Bibliography

[1] https://nalatanalata.com/journal/motifs-in-japanese-design/#:~:text=In%20Japanese%20culture%2C%20butterflies%20carry,number%20of%20traditional%20family%20crests.

[2] The first chapter of Bleach. Recommended for the art alone. Story is muy dissapoint.

[3] https://news.artnet.com/art-world/a-history-of-butterflies-in-art-2085638#:~:text=In%20Japan%2C%20the%20butterfly%20has,of%20female%20ritual%20and%20experience.

[4] http://www.japonic.com/obi/obi24.htm

[5] https://arteingiappone.altervista.org/en/butterflies-in-japanese-and-western-art/

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