Chinese Folk Designs

I bought this book at an art store with the purpose of finding a tattoo. I did and 5 years later I got it... Lots of great designs inside.

I have used this book numerous times for the somewhat non-traditional purpose of tattoo designs. My complaint is minor, and it has to do with how the book is formatted. The designs are white on a red or black background. This makes it a little difficult to photocopy for use; especially on the red pages.

I ran across this title in a small shop in San Francisco's Chinatown. I was running short on cash, and was kicking myself within 24 hours for not purchasing this book. Hawley provides 300 cut paper designs used in traditional Chinese embroidery. Each design is in white on a solid color background (red, blue, black, brown, or purple). The designs are clear and easy to see and enjoy. A brief introduction gives a little background (I would have liked more) on this folk art, and an index at the beginning allows users to look up symbols of specific interest. Do that, but browse the rest of the book as well! An eight-page supplement at the end illustrates 160 symbols (including ideograms, trigrams from the I Ching, and pictoral symbols) used in traditional decorative arts along with their meanings. Fascinating!For those interested in learning more about Chinese art, or for those who just enjoy beautiful designs, this is an excellent choice.