The trend of Oriental design is becoming extremely popular in America today. Not only in the decorative arts. but we are now seeing oriental clothing styles. tatoos. posters and other works. So many products are being influenced by age-old oriental design that it can really be said to be a trend. We can all appreciate the rich heritage of oriental art. especially when it is incorporated into the modern products used in western countries. Oriental rugs are a perfect example of this. Beautifully woven designs with an ageless artistic heritage are seen in more and more homes today. on the floors and even on the walls as tapestries.

Did you know that some of the oldest and most popular oriental designs are based on the Chinese alphabet? These characters are called Conji. and. unlike western alphabets. they are not letters. but rather ideograms. An ideogram is the symbol of a word or a concept. This kind of alphabet developed because of the far flung regions of China. Even people with different languages could communicate because they could understand the picture or ideogram of what was being depicted. Conji are very beautiful symbols and because of this have frequently been used in design. There is now even a trend to have Conji tatoos. Anyone who decides to have this done should be careful. If you are not sure of the correct Conji. you may end up with a symbol that you do not want. American tatoo artists rarely understand Conji. and just pick them out if they like the way they look. You may end up with an unflattering symbol on your body.

Oriental design is also frequently used in embroidery. The grace and curves of this design lend themselves very well to needlepoint work. unlike many western designs. We frequenly see oriental designs on dishes and serving pieces. as well as on furniture and other decorative items. There are many wallpaper designs that incorporate an oriental theme in the pattern; the famous French "toile" is a good example of this and it is seen in many very sophisticated drawing rooms. Korean blankets are an Asian product the exhibits beautiful oriental designs in a practical product that is warm. soft and very serviceable. Lovely scenes of nature. forests and animals cover these beautiful blankets.

If you want to recreate an oriental look in your home. you will have to obtain genuine oriental products. Luckily. the countries of the orient are big exporters of these products so they are easy to obtain. especially if you live in an area with a large Asian population. such as San Francisco.