Tomoe is a pattern that has existed throughout the world since ancient times.

Tomoe patterns found all over the world

The origin of the Tomoe crest is unclear, but it is a pattern found all over the world, and there are many varieties of this spiral pattern within Asia alone.

There is a theory that it is a pattern depicting swirling water, but since there are also Japanese Tomoe crests that use clouds as a motif, such as the "Un Tomoe" crest, it is difficult to generalize.

In Japan, it is said that it began to be used on clothing during the late Heian period, and later became widely used on architecture, such as for decoration on roof tiles.

You may have seen the Tomoe crest painted on the drum carried by the God of Thunder.

Tomoe crest seen in the West

The Tomoe pattern in the West has long been seen in Celtic decoration.

It has been revived even today, and spiral patterns similar to the Tomoe crest can be seen in embroidery on cushions.

Not all spiral patterns are considered to be Tomoe patterns, but if the Tomoe pattern originated from the abstraction of the flow of water or the movement of life, then regardless of what it is called, it can be said to be of the same family of designs.

Celtic spiral patterns are often finer and more intricate because they were mathematically drawn with a compass.