緑黄地に黒い筋や斑文のある大形の華麗な蝶を文様化したもので、鳳蝶〈ﾎｳﾁｮｳ〉とも呼ばれます。平安中期以降になって、蝶文が流行し、平家ゆかりの家々の家紋となり、今日に受け継がれています。牡丹や撫子などと共に小袖に用いられましたが、現代でも、振袖や留袖に好んで用いられています。

京都きもの工房

This pattern depicts a large, splendid butterfly with black stripes and spots on a greenish-yellow background, also known as the swallowtail butterfly. Butterfly motifs became popular from the mid-Heian period onward, becoming family crests for houses associated with the Heike clan, and are passed down to this day. While used on kosode alongside peonies and pinks, it remains popular today for furisode and tomesode.