Zigzag

Zigzag is one of the earliest abstract patterns created by humans. Similar lines can already be found on Neolithic pottery. Over time, they appeared on textiles, architecture, and everyday objects. Across different cultures, the zigzag has been used to depict water, lightning, mountain ridges, or the movement of a snake. A simple line, repeated for thousands of years.

In Chinese, the zigzag takes its name from the character “之” (zhī), whose shape follows the same changing path. In English, the word zigzag mimics both the movement and the shape of the line. Neither language tries to explain it; both simply describe what they see.

The zigzag is built on repetition. A heartbeat rises and falls. A loom moves back and forth. A sewing machine stitches in the same rhythm. We recognise patterns through repetition. There is something quietly reassuring about it.