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The over 4000 individual designs collected here represent the 900 year old tradition of Japanese family crests. Through constant variation and invention over the centuries, this has become one of the richest graphic art traditions in the world.
most of these motifs are circular, and they can all be fitted into a square. Within those limitations is a seemingly endless range of design, beginning with the dozens and dozens of root motifs: rice plant, ginkgo, scallop, lightning, anchor, school, craft, candle, scissors, Fern, saki bottle, Lotus Blossom, lotus root, mountain, Arrow, Buddhist cross, pine, Wisteria, ship, butterfly, tortoise shell, rabbit, Chinese characters, key, sickle and so many others that it would be impossible to list even half of them here.
Practically every kind of plant, bird, animal, natural phenomenon and manufactured object of Japanese culture was at one time or another included in a family crest. In addition, each of the root designs was treated to dozens of imaginative variations, they were reproduced bilaterally, and triangles, diamonds, five and six pointed stars, and spirals, were built up in series, made to overlap, combined with each other, and so on.
Some of these are classic and recognizable designs, like the Yin Yang, the linked rings, and the treasure not. Many of the others have rarely been seen in the West before.
Unabridged republication of the catalog originally compiled around 1913 by the Matsuya Piece goods store, Tokyo
Condition: soft cover, used with light to moderate wear 216 pages including index, 1972
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