鹿の子 Kanoko
Traditional Japanese pattern (wagara) · wallpaper & status-bar design
Overview
Kanoko is a field of small tie-dyed dots that resemble the dappled back of a fawn.
鹿の子は絞り染めの粒を子鹿の背の斑点に見立てた文様。手間のかかる絞りゆえ、可憐さと贅沢さを表す。
History & origin
The name refers to kanoko shibori, a painstaking tie-dye technique in which the cloth is bound dot by dot. Genuine all-over kanoko was extremely labour-intensive and therefore a mark of luxury in the Edo period.
Symbolism & meaning
Beyond its charm, the fawn association lends a sense of gentleness and youth, while the sheer handwork it represented made it a quiet display of wealth and refinement.
Traditional use
Kanoko is prized on furisode, obiage and high-end kimono accessories. As a fine, dense texture it makes a soft, tactile-looking wallpaper.
Set it as your wallpaper
- Open the design in the editor and tune its colors.
- Recolor the ground and pattern, then add your own photo as the background.
- Download the PNG and set it as your wallpaper (Settings → Wallpaper on iPhone, or “Set as wallpaper” on Android).
New to custom wallpapers? Read the full step-by-step guide for iPhone & Android →
Kanoko colorways
More patterns
The Kanoko motif is part of the public-domain canon of Japanese wagara. The artwork on obolo is our own original rendering.