Beautiful Vintage Japanese Butterfly Patterns to Download

I can never resist a beautiful old Japanese pattern book, especially one with butterflies. Hyaku Chō Zuan (百蝶図案), or One Hundred Butterfly Designs, was created by Kyoto painter and designer Tanaka Yūhō and published in 1896. Rather than illustrating butterflies scientifically, Tanaka played with their shapes and symmetry, turning wings into flowers, leaves and wonderfully decorative patterns.

The book dates from Japan's Meiji period, an exciting time for art and design when traditional Japanese motifs were being used in fresh and inventive ways. These butterflies are a lovely example; some are elegant and recognisable, while others have been transformed into bold, almost abstract patterns that still look surprisingly modern today.

Below, you can explore and download 33 of these beautiful vintage Japanese butterfly designs for your own creative projects.

The Art of the Butterfly

Butterflies have long appeared in Japanese art and design, where their symmetrical shapes lend themselves perfectly to decorative patterns. Tanaka takes this idea even further; some of his butterflies are instantly recognisable, while others become colourful, almost abstract ornaments.

If you love this style of Japanese pattern design, don't miss these traditional Japanese patterns and beautifully popular Japanese Shin Bijutsukai patterns.

Japanese Butterflies Meet Art Nouveau

Hyaku Chō Zuan was published around the same time Art Nouveau was flourishing in Europe. European designers also turned butterflies, dragonflies, beetles, birds, and other creatures into flowing decorative patterns.

Some lovely similarities include flattened shapes, bold outlines, and nature transformed into ornament. But Japanese art also strongly influenced Art Nouveau, so these designs offer a fascinating glimpse of how artistic ideas crossed between Japan and Europe at the end of the 19th century.

For comparison, take a look at the nature-inspired Art Nouveau patterns of Eugène Grasset and Maurice Pillard Verneuil's animal designs.

How To Download The Butterfly Designs

Click on the title above the image you want to download to open the full-size version, then save it to your device.

These public domain butterfly designs are perfect for printing, collage, junk journals, decoupage and other crafts, or simply framing as colourful Japanese wall art.

The Hyaku Chō Zuan Butterfly Designs

Butterfly Patterns 1-11

Print 1: Teal & Purple Butterfly Pattern

Print 2: Yellow Floral Background

Plate 3: Yellow Butterflies Framing Pink Flowers

Flowers are another favourite motif in traditional Japanese design, often treated in much the same way as these butterflies. Chrysanthemums, cherry blossoms, peonies, irises, and morning glories were simplified, repeated, and combined with leaves and geometric forms to create beautiful decorative patterns for textiles, prints, and other crafts. Rather than being strictly botanical, the flowers were often wonderfully stylised, turning familiar plants into bold and imaginative designs.

Print 4: Pink Flowers Blue Foliage

Plate 5: Red Patterned Background

Print 6: Turquoise Butterfly

Plate 7: Butterflies Floral Garlands

Print 8: Cream Butterflies On Purple

Plate 9: Red Floral Panel

Print 10: Yellow Geometric Butterfly

Plate 11: White Butterflies Lotus Leaves

Lotus leaves are more than just a good-looking shape in Japanese art. Because the lotus rises clean and beautiful from muddy water, it has long been associated with purity, enlightenment and renewal, particularly through its connection with Buddhism.

Butterfly Patterns 12-22

Pattern 12: Circular Flower Medallion

Pattern 13: Butterfly Border Design

Print 14: Swallow-Tail Butterfly Chrysanthemums

Chrysanthemums are everywhere in Japanese art and design, and they're far more than just a pretty flower. Known as kiku in Japan, they are associated with longevity, happiness and nobility, and the stylised chrysanthemum is famously linked with the Japanese Imperial Family.

Pattern 15: Yellow Butterflies Leafy Vines

Pattern 16: Butterflies & Daisies

Daisies and daisy-like flowers pop up frequently in Japanese patterns, although they don't carry quite the same weighty symbolism as chrysanthemums or lotus flowers. Their simple round centres and neat radiating petals make them wonderfully adaptable for decorative design, where they can be repeated, scattered or tucked amongst leaves and other flowers.

Pattern 17: Cream Butterflies Peonies

Peonies (botan) are the show-offs of Japanese floral design, with their big, ruffled blooms symbolising prosperity, good fortune and nobility. Their layers of curling petals also make them perfect for bold decorative patterns.

Pattern 18: Yellow Butterflies Blue Stripes

Pattern 19: Yellow Pink Geometric

Print 20: Swallow-Tail Butterfly Flowers

Pattern 21: Butterflies Purple Flowers

Pattern 22: Lions & Peonies

Lions in Japanese design are often the mythical shishi rather than real lions. Bold, curly-maned and slightly fantastical, they symbolise strength, courage and protection and often appear guarding temples or romping amongst peonies in decorative art.

Butterfly Patterns 23-33

Pattern 23: Pink Background Yellow Butterflies

Pattern 24: Butterflies & Blossoms

Blossoms are a favourite in Japanese design, especially cherry blossoms (sakura), whose brief flowering symbolises life's beauty and fleeting nature. Those delicate little flowers also lend themselves beautifully to scattered, flowing patterns.

Pattern 25: Grey Border Design

Pattern 26: Large Black/Blue Butterfly

Print 27: Dark Blue Floral Print

Pattern 28: Pink & Blue Floral Print

Pattern 29: White Butterfly Red Background

Print 30: Turquoise Geometric Pattern

Pattern 31: Vine Stripes

Pattern 32: Blue Diagonal Pattern

Print 33: Turquoise Print

More Beautiful Butterfly Designs

I hope you’ve enjoyed this wonderfully imaginative collection of 33 Japanese butterfly designs. I love how Tanaka Yūhō takes such a familiar insect and plays with its shape, turning wings into flowers, leaves and bold decorative patterns that still feel surprisingly fresh today.

If you love decorative butterflies, take a look at E. A. Séguy’s gorgeous butterfly prints too. Séguy’s butterflies are much more recognisable as the real thing, while Tanaka takes far greater liberties with his. They’re very different collections, but both show how easily butterflies can flutter from nature into fabulous decorative design.

And if you prefer your butterflies to look like actual butterflies, there are plenty of those on Picture Box Blue too! Browse my collection of vintage butterfly illustrations, featuring beautiful natural history images of real butterflies and moths, all free to download and print.

For more Japanese pattern inspiration, don't miss the colourful Shin-Bijutsukai designs and my collection of traditional Japanese patterns.

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