Yagasuri: the arrow feather pattern of firm resolve
Make a Yagasuri wallpaper in your colors
At a glance
| Japanese name | 矢絣 (やがすり, Yagasuri) |
|---|---|
| Motif | Arrow feathers |
| Wish it carries | Resolve and moving forward |
| Season | All year; graduation season |
| Where you see it | Kimono with hakama, wedding gifts |
What it looks like
Yagasuri is made of vertical columns of arrow fletching. Each column points the opposite way to the one beside it, which creates a strong zigzag rhythm.
History
The pattern was first made with kasuri, a technique in which threads are dyed before weaving. It became a favorite kimono design in the Edo period. Around the end of the 1800s and the early 1900s, yagasuri kimono worn with hakama trousers became a typical look for female students, and that image is still well known today.
What it means
An arrow that has been shot does not come back. For this reason the pattern became linked with firm decisions and moving forward. It was also given as a wish that a bride would not return home, meaning a lasting marriage.
How it is drawn
Each column is the width of one feather. Inside it, two chevrons and a short center line form one feather, and the feathers repeat downward. Every other column flips direction and is shifted by half a feather.
Ways to use it
Purple and white is the classic school look. Red and gold is bold. Cream and indigo is neat and modern for a desktop background.
- Open the maker with Yagasuri 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.
Yagasuri and 13 other patterns are in our coloring book, with the meaning behind every design.
See the coloring book on Amazon