Seigaiha (Blue Ocean Wave) Chopstick & Cutlery Bag

The Seigaiha ancestral pattern is a water-themed geometric design that translates as “blue ocean waves. It is inspired by the open sea’s fan-shaped waves. The term comes from the Seigaiha gagaku ancient court dance, in which the dancers wear this pattern on their clothing. In The Tale of Genji, there is a moment in which Genji dances the Seigaiha.

With concentric arches, the pattern resembles stylised waves and is made up of a succession of arches or scales made out of overlapping concentric circles. Seigaiha is written in Japanese with three logograms: blue, ocean, and waves, respectively. The pattern reflects the serenity and tranquilly of the water. Then there’s tranquilly. Wealth or resilience, to put it another way.

On Chinese maps, the Japanese design was traditionally employed to portray the water. Other ancient civilisations, such as Egypt and Persia, used variations of this design.