Mon (crest)
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Mon (紋) or Kamon (家紋) are Japanese family crests. The word mon refers to any crest, while kamon refers specifically to family crests.
Japanese crests consist of a rondel encircling a design (feathers, flowers etc). They are somewhat like coats of arms in that they are either associated with a particular family, or an individual who has achieved some variety of public recognition. The designs are usually stylised versions of traditional Japanese themes, such as bamboo. Artists may choose something symbolising their art; a fan design might be chosen by a geisha. A woman may still wear her maiden crests if she wishes and pass them on to her daughters; a woman does not have to adopt her husband's or father's crests. Crests add formality to a kimono. A kimono may have one or three or five crests. The crests themselves can be more or less formal, the more the crest stands out the more formal it is. This may help dress up or dress down the formality of a kimono at the wearer's discretion.
In the dress of the ruling class, the mon could be found on the kimono on both sides of the chest, on both sleeves, and in the middle of the back. On the armour, it could be found on the kabuto (helmet), on the do (cuirass), flags, and various other places. Mon could also be found on coffers, tents, fans, and many items of importance.
Virtually all modern Japanese families have a mon, though modern usage is rare. Individuals, instead, use an inkan for official purposes and business transactions. Mon, however, can still be seen widely on stores and shops engaged in traditional crafts and specialities. Some sushi restaurants incorporate a crest into their logo, while crest designs can be seen on the ceramic roof tiles of older houses. Mon designs also frequently appear on senbei, sake, tofu, and other packaging for foodstuffs to lend them an air of elegance and refinement. The paulownia crest appears on the obverse side of a 500 yen coin.
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External links
- Japanese Family Crest Origin (http://www.netpersons.co.jp/kamon/origin.html)
- Common Japanese crests or mon "Japanese Family Emblem (http://www.familyemblem.com)"
- Popular kimono themes "The Queen's Kimono (http://www.thequeenskimono.com/pattern.html)"