Week 5 of our “Wagara Wednesday” series highlights the wavering sinuous design known as #Tatewaku (#立涌), or #Tatewaki, in Japan.
The vertical curvilinear lines, which bulge and narrow, are said to be auspicious as they evoke steam going up to sky, like mist rising off waterways in the spring. As a result, the pattern has come to be associated with the capacity to rise above life events and circumstances.
During its infancy in the Heian period (794-1185), the design required advanced techniques to create; therefore, it was exclusively used for clothing of court nobles.
Many variations of the design have been created placing different motifs within the hourglass forms of the parallel waves. Popular combinations include clouds (kumotatewaku 雲立涌) and chrysanthemums (kikutatewaku 菊立涌).
As we stay home to stay safe, may the Tatewaku Pattern remind us that we all have the strength in us to rise each day and face the challenges we are presented. May the pattern also serve as a call to action to rise above the narrow confines of our personal concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.