Bishi

Four diamonds.This is Takeda-Bishi(武田菱).菱 means diamond shape.武田 is famouse Japanese Bushi,武田信玄(1521-1573).

This mon is very simple,easy to memorize,easy to recognize company in war field.And I try to put color. It's test.

Isn't cute ? It looks lovely.Color changes impression.It's fun.

I may see that's like badge anywhere.I wish to get such a badge.I put on this my laptop cover.

When did Kamon start ?

Kamon is used for family's mark to identify each other.It started heian-era(平安時代794 - 1185) Very old people such Japanese noble put kamon their many items.They put kamon mark on their car that works by cow first. I don't know truth,but it's said origin is Tomoe-mon.

Wow,that's powerful,simple mark.My favorite one.And real wheel kamon existed.It's called  源氏車 genji-kuruma "genji(源氏)" is Japanese old noble family's name.

Eight legs imagines 八正道(hatu-sho-do)(one of Buddhism's ideology).

Japanese lucky bird

Cute.This is goose.

Goose had said it takes lucky.Some family used as 雁金紋(kari-gane-mon).柴田勝家(Katuie-shibata)(Nobunaga's follwer) used too.

White pattern is also funny.

And There are many arrange pattern.This is one oh them.It imagines us flying scene.

Oh,actually real goose is not so funny face like above mon(^^).

Buddhism sparkle

This is 七宝紋(shi-ppo-mon).七 is seven,宝 means treasure.This sparkle is treasure's  sparkle.

What is seven treasures ? It is from Buddhism.

1. 金(gold)
2. 銀(silver)
3. 瑠璃(lapis lazuli)
4. 玻璃(quartz)
5. 硨磲(Tridacninae) ... shell
6. 珊瑚(coral)
7. 瑪瑙(agate)

Oh,That's kanji is pretty difficult for me. I don't use usually,Let's check added stars pattern.

This is trinity pattern.

And this additional pattern is 大岡七宝紋(o-oka-shi-po-mon).大岡越前's family crest.He is Japanese drama hero such as 水戸黄門(mito-ko-mon),銭形平次(zeni-gata-heiji).

Currency very old

Japanese old currency was made model of kamon,too. Okay,first is popular it.Do you know whose mon is this ?
 
This is 六文銭(roku-mon-sen).真田幸村(Yukimura Sanada)'s family symbol.He is so famous.He is taken as game or comic hero in Japan.

Japanese old currency must be pierced.I think this hall was strung by cord instead of wallet.

And let's see some arrangement pattern.'裏浪銭紋'(ura-nami-sen-mon) is mixed wave.And pierced too.(^^)

This pattern is '六ツ念銭紋'(mutu-nen-sen-mon).'念' means 'to pray silently'.These currency represent wish.

I don't know why currency was used as kamon design.They might be banker,generate currency,or rend money.

Butterfly pattern

'揚羽'(ageha) pattern is popular too.

It's used '平家'(heike) family.Very traditional pattern.

Let's see other arrangements.This is armed.That means '鎧'(armor).

Mixed with flower.'撫子'(nadesiko).

'南天'(nan-ten) is mixed.

Mixed with Chinese flower design pattern '唐花'(kara-hana).

I don't know what is mixed.Maybe crab.It seems 折り紙(ori-gami). It looks like '兜'(kabuto),Japanese samurai helm.

Seimei's mon

'桔梗'(ki-kyo) is popular kamon.

Because famous Japanese family had Kikyo style mon.

• 明智光秀(Mitsuhide Akechi)
• 加藤清正(Kiyomasa Kato)
• 安倍晴明(Abeno Seimei)

Oh,It's shot.

Added pentagon.

This is 晴明's mon. So abstracted,I can't see this Kikyo style (^^).

The old bushi's symbol

 '竜胆'(rindo) was taken as symbol of 源氏(genji) that is Japanese very old Bushi group. Their kamon is also rindo.

This is '笹竜胆紋'(sasa-rindo-mon).sasa is bamboo leaf.It's mixed rindo and sasa.Genji Bushi's symbol mark.

Added Circle '丸ニ竜胆紋'(maru-ni-rindo-mon).

This is omitted bamboo leafs.'二葉竜胆紋'(huta-ba-rindo-mon).At first,we can not recognize this is a kind of rindo model.

'竜胆車紋'(rindo-guruma-mon) is rindo wheel !! It's powerful than original rindo-mon.

'葉隠竜胆紋'(yo-in-rindo-guruma) is one of rindo-guruma.This is a one of design method.Base model is inversed.I don't know historical reason.But I think there were some reasons why the bushi used this mon or had to use.

This is interesting.Rindo and butterfly is united. '竜胆花蝶紋'(rindo-ka-cho-mon).Cool design.

Morning glory

'朝顔'(Morning glory) is one of summer flower.
When I was primary school student, I had to rear morning glories on my summer holiday as home work. I hated it.

This flower blooms every morning !! and wilt every noon.

Let's see some kamon of morning glories.
It's quite simple,'朝顔紋'(asagao-mon). Can you imagine real flower ?

 Five morning glory are united.It's called '五ツ朝顔紋'(itu-asagao-mon).

'糸輪に六ツ朝顔紋'(itowa-ni-mutu-asagao-mon). The circle(itowa) adds tight impression. It looks like button.











 That's my favorite of four. '竹丸ニ朝顔紋'(take-maru-ni-asagao-mon). It seems view of summer !! we can remember something summer memory.

Imagine sakura ocean

 "Sakura" means cherry blossom was in bloom in Tokyo about 2weeks ago.(Now,already fallen...) This picture is Tokyo Nakano Street.That's "sakura" road !!
The weather was fine.People went to see sakura,and eat,drink under sakura tree.

Sakura's kamon exists.It's simple.If we listen the word "sakura",we imagine white pink first,but kamon's sakura is chic.Symbol is interesting.


When we look sakura symbol,we can imagine and see Sakura ocean everyday.Fantastic brain power right ?

holy peach

Peach,it is called "momo" in Japanese.Momo is trusted it is inclued holy power from ancient days.Devils escape it.And momo's flower is so beautiful.Momo's flower is more pinky than sakura.It's vivid pink !! Japanese prefer to sakura.For me,I prefer to momo's flower and momo is one of my favorite fruits.

lightning!!

This is "hira-inazuma"."inazuma" means lightning."hira" means plane.What do you look ? I look it snake,tornado, labyrinth.

Cute bird,Scare bird

"Chidori" means plover .
It is described the scene plover is flying in the sky.

Though its wing is too small to fly,maybe....










I tried to arrange "Chidori" kamon. Where are you in this picture below ? Actutally,I'm pink one sometimes.


















By the way, I was attacked by crow this morning. When I go out of my home,the crow approached me from behind many times !! I did't hurt but horrible.I feel depressed if tomorrow is same situation.

Crow hasn't been drawn as "kamon" in Japanese history,I think.So I added crow as a candidate of my original "kamon" design ideas.Crow is scare and treated unlucky bird but originality is so special.

I hope peaceful morning.

The flower on passport

Chrysanthemum is called "kiku" in japanese.
This kamon represents "kiku".
 

Do you look this mark "kiku" ?
That's why technique of omission and abstraction are implemented Kamon is beautiful. 

Japanese passport's mark looks like "kiku-mon".So I changed color.Have you seen this ?