The seigaiha pattern uses high-arched, overlapping semicircles to convey the motion of blue ocean waves. The simplicty and elegance of the pattern have contributed to its popularity in Japan since before the Heian period (794-1185), although the pattern first appeared in China. A western artist might use swaths of color to represent water, but the Japanese artist takes a stylized, linear approach, with seigaiha pattern being the result.

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