Spring migration

Red-crowned cranes in early Spring

Motif

A flock of red-crowned cranes gliding through layered hills. Blossoms are poping out amoungst in the evergreens. As if we were witnessing a gentle migration happening before the misty mountains, as Japan begins to awaken from winter's stillness. But this is only my wishful interpretation, you wouldn’t see such a scene in Japan. At least, not exactly.

These graceful birds hold a deeply symbolic place in Japanese culture, yet they are very rare and live only in one region in the far north of the country: Hokkaido. Unlike their continental cousins, they don’t migrate.

If you travel to the mainland of Asia, however, such scenes do unfold: red-crowned cranes return to Eastern China and Korea after breeding in the Russian Far East and Siberia.

Red-crowned cranes are rare in real life, yet incredibly present in Japanese textiles and art. They are not depicted because they are common, but because they are ideal, rare, elegant, full of symbolic meaning and hope. This is why they appear so often on bridal kimono and formal obi.

In this particular obi, the cranes are joined by pine trees and plum blossoms, three of the most auspicious motifs in Japanese tradition.

Fabric details

These were the three details that made it impossible for me to resist this piece:

the unusual color combination
the pine branches are so highly stylised they almost resemble paper fans or fireworks from a manga
the silver background, woven with fine wave patterns that shimmer with every movement of the fabric, something I had to see with my own eyes

Framing

When ordering a Phone bag or a Bumbag, you can choose the details and colours of the motif you would like to feature on your bag. A bigger design like the Computer bag or the Weekender will allow the entire motif to show.