Monday, July 29, 2013

A Concise Introduction To Oriental Family Symbols

By Takamitsu Hairi


Family system has not yet been thrown away by the Japanese people and so is the case of the family symbols also. 'Ka-mon', the Japanese term for family symbols was originated from 'Ka' and 'mon' which mean family with its own ancestral tree and emblem respectively. History of Ka-mon traces back to 1200 AD.

At the same time, in Europe also an insignia was popular namely 'Coat of Arms'. So many researches have been done around the similarity of these two traditions.

One thing is for sure, the Japanese family symbol possesses multiple and unique characteristics which are impossible to interpret by giving them generalized explanations.

There are no certain rules for the construction of Japanese family symbols. Usually mon is found as a disc-shaped symbol encircling any figure of plants, animals, artificial objects and mythical or real figures.

Kanji script, which is an inevitable element of Japanese art forms, can be found in the family symbols also. Religious and geometrical figures also are used to create these symbols. Generally these scripts and figures would be put in an abstracted form.

Even though there are no set restrictions when it comes to the designing of the mon it gets its name from the contents that are illustrated in its design. The name of the mon does not really reflect its depiction rather it only seeks to explain it. The blazon in the mon is not in perspective and this makes it quite unlike the European crest. The designs that are featured on the mon come into their formalized fashion as they get the stamp of tradition through the passage of time.

There is not a specified rule for the colour selection also. However, they are commonly found in monochrome. The usage of family symbols are rare in Japan nowadays. Although there are some families that stick to use them, several families will find it difficult to identify their mon because it has been marked as an ancient practice.

There may be certain situations where a mon may be required by a family. In such instances the temple records come in handy that have registries of ancestral home towns of the people. There are a lot of ways in which the Japanese people can seek assistance if they wish to find their family symbol.

Many of the packed food items that come from Japan are marked with mon. You can obtain a mon simply from the market or a craft shop to be used for your roof tiles and interior decorations.




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