Shippo: the seven treasures pattern of linked circles
Make a Shippo wallpaper in your colors
At a glance
| Japanese name | 七宝 (しっぽう, Shippo) |
|---|---|
| Motif | Linked circles |
| Wish it carries | Harmony and lasting bonds |
| Season | All year |
| Where you see it | Wedding items, furoshiki cloth, metalwork |
What it looks like
Shippo is made of circles that overlap by exactly a quarter of their width. Where four circles meet, the overlaps form pointed petal shapes, and small open spaces are left between them. The full name, shippo-tsunagi, means “linked seven treasures.”
History
The name comes from the seven treasures of Buddhist tradition, a list of precious materials such as gold, silver and crystal. The linked-circle design has been used in Japan since ancient times on textiles, metalwork and architecture, and the word shippo is also used for cloisonné enamel.
What it means
Each circle connects to the next with no beginning and no end. Because of this, shippo stands for harmony, good relationships and connections that last. It is a popular pattern for weddings and family celebrations.
How it is drawn
Place circle centers on a square grid, with the grid spacing equal to the radius. Every circle then passes through the centers of its neighbors. In the maker a small circle is also drawn on alternate points as an accent.
Ways to use it
Purple and white is soft and elegant. Indigo works for a traditional look. Because the pattern is busy, slightly larger sizes look best for phone wallpapers.
- Open the maker with Shippo already selected.
- Pick one of the color sets, or choose your own ground and line colors.
- Choose a size: phone, desktop, video call, square or A4 print.
- Download it as a PNG, or as an SVG if you want to edit or print it at any size.
Shippo and 13 other patterns are in our coloring book, with the meaning behind every design.
See the coloring book on Amazon