Kiokma
Kiokma is a kind of woven or herringbone pattern, often (but not always) executed in dark green or earthen colors, found as a motif through a wide variety of Rostran art and fashion. The motif is derived from the widespread use of palm fronds and wide strips of plant fibers in the construction of apparel items, such as hats, breastplates, and skirts. The word "kiokma" among Iuxat speakers is now synonymous with outfits bearing prints that emulate the appearance of these items; while a human might refer to their "summer clothes" or "Absunten best," a Rostran looking to look their best in an informal context might say that they are "putting on the kiokma."
Mechanics & Inner Workings
In terms of graphical design, a kiokma pattern is typically assembled from rectangles with a two-to-one aspect ratio in a regular tiling pattern that lies at a 45 degree angle from the largest edge or seam of the item to be decorated. Variations might include square patterns to create gaps, slightly longer rectangles to create gaps, or fiber-like streaks within each rectangle, but the rectangles are almost always arranged so that they intersect with one another at right angles to preserve the woven appearance of the pattern. In terms of coloration, kiokma is typically low in saturation, but may be light or dark in color to reflect natural materials. Dark green, khaki, and dark reddish-brown are common colors, though the pattern can also appear in pastels in contexts like the where an aesthetic of softness or cleanliness is desired, such as in religious, medical, or domestic service contexts.
Significance
Kiokma patterns are considered unisex and appropriate for all but the most formal of social contexts. Aside from its most common appearance in clothing items, kiokma also appears in the seals of official government agencies, in the iconography of religious institutions, and in various architectural contexts. Kiokma is often though of as having nautical connotations, as isolated segments of the pattern have the appearance of stylized ropes as one might find in the rigging of a seagoing vessel. In any case, Iuxat speakers typically refer to these uses of kiokma in the adjectival form, only using the word in the noun form when refering to clothing bearing the pattern unless they are otherwise speaking of the style in and of itself.
Ensign of the RACMF by BCGR_Wurth
Item type
Clothing / Accessory
Rarity
Kiokma is significant in both High Rostran and Low Rostran cultures, but is most often found in the territories controlled by the Rostran Archipelago Confederacy rather than outliers like the Red Velvet Association or the Hermitage Island Fellowship, making it somewhat a vestige of nationality.
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