Tatewaku: the rising steam pattern of the imperial court
Make a Tatewaku wallpaper in your colors
At a glance
| Japanese name | 立涌 (たてわく, Tatewaku) |
|---|---|
| Motif | Rising steam |
| Wish it carries | Good fortune on the rise |
| Season | All year; formal occasions |
| Where you see it | Court robes, formal obi, ceremonial items |
What it looks like
Tatewaku is made of pairs of wavy vertical lines that swell apart and come together again, like steam rising into the air. The spaces between the lines are often filled with clouds, flowers or other motifs.
History
Tatewaku is one of the yūsoku patterns, the designs used in the clothing and furnishings of the imperial court and noble families from the Heian period (794–1185) onward. Variations are named after what fills the gaps, for example cloud tatewaku or wisteria tatewaku.
What it means
Steam that rises upward is a sign of good fortune on the rise. Because of its court history, tatewaku also carries a sense of dignity and formality.
How it is drawn
Each column has two sine waves that mirror each other, so they meet and part again. A small circle sits in the wide part of every other gap. In the maker, “Pattern size” changes both the width and the height of each wave.
Ways to use it
Cream and indigo looks refined. Teal and cream is calm. Black and gold suits formal invitations.
- Open the maker with Tatewaku 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.
Tatewaku and 13 other patterns are in our coloring book, with the meaning behind every design.
See the coloring book on Amazon