The demand by artists and craftspeople for visually exciting designs has created renewed interest in traditional Japanese motifs which are ideal for modern decorative and graphic needs. This comprehensive archive presents 276 exquisite Japanese stencil designs, inspired by natural themes and developed to ideographic perfection through the centuries. Sky, seam and land birds, beasts, insects, and countless flora and fauna comprise Japanese design vocabulary. Versatile motifs include clouds, sun, stars, waves, birds, butterflies, dragonflies, fish, and delicate floral and foliate patterns ? chrysanthemum, plum and cherry blossoms, bamboo, ivy, wisteria, oak and maple leaves, and much more. You'll also find abstract and geometric designs ? circles, squares, diamonds, polygons, stripes, bands, and lattice motifs ? as well as fans, wheels, umbrellas, and other man-made objects.