Abstract Arabesque vines are depicted using a push carving technique. Thin strips are carved to suggest the curling pattern decorated with symbolic leaves all around.
Multiple wisps of lines carved out form abstract hexagons. The three-pronged shape represents the pattern of a tortoiseshell, which represents longevity and good fortune. It was also popular on Samurai armor.
Abstracted Japanese naval flags in the shape of pine-bark lozenges are alternating with another Japanese symbol using a chrysanthemum and two characters. Silk threads are added to support the stencil structure.
This asymmetrical landscape is created with two sets of circles created by the hole punching technique. One side is jagged and unrefined while the other side creates a smooth geometric shape. Between the landscapes is a negative space that is lit up with lanterns, big and small, and two crests decorated with flowers and a third crest with a little chicken.
Maple leaves (kaede or Momiji) are a popular topic in Japanese poetry. They appear as far back to the oldest anthology in "man'yoshu," dating back to the 8th century AD. There are twelve different species known in Japan. This stencil depicts dramatic leaves that resemble a firework something else brilliant.