INTRODUCTION Kamon or family crests are art motifs, which have been adopted as insignia by families and handed down through the ages. The heraldic emblems of Japan are simpler and aesthetically finer than European coats of arms. The clarity and elegance of kamon are now highly valued throughout the world as a new design or motif, and applied widely in various ways in such fields as handicraft, interior and textile designs. In this book, 4,080 traditional crests are collected. The Yin (white on a black background) of each crest is presented on the left page, and the Yang (reversed motif) on the right page. Accordingly, the total number of motifs comes to 8,160. All the designs are free of copyright, so you can use them as they are or as a source of inspiration. -Editor

Find the beauty and meaning of over 850 family crests found in Japanese tradition

Family crests (mon) have been a Japanese tradition since the eleventh century, when they decorated the costumes and carriages of courtiers. Later, they were used to identify warriors on the battlefield, as heraldic decorations on formal costumes, and as ornament on the kimonos of the common people. Small, compact, and graceful, with a strong sense of style, crest designs are ideal for spot illustrations, as logos, or for any graphic purpose requiring the classic simplicity, purity, and strength of Japanese design. This volume presents a total of 540 permission-free motifs, carefully selected for graphic impact and usefulness from several thousand crests known to exist. Featured are a wide variety of stylized designs depicting plants, animals, natural phenomena, geometric shapes, and manufactured objects.Among the subjects included in this selection are such traditional Japanese motifs as bamboo, crane, lightning, cherry blossom, peony, plum blossom, wave, rice, circle, and hollyhock. Immensely useful, this volume of permission-free designs is not only an invaluable source of graphic material for artists, designers, and craftspeople, but a fascinating picture book of Japanese culture.

Compact, graceful designs that have endured for ages as an art form depict astronomical images, plant, leaf, and animal motifs, the chrysanthemum crest of the Imperial family, and hundreds of other subjects — all classics of their kind. Ideal for use in a variety of print and craft projects. 920 black-and-white illustrations.

Over 1,700 compact, graceful designs — a traditional part of many Japanese family histories — are featured in this handsome, versatile collection. Depicting plant, leaf, animal, and fan designs in circular motifs; astronomical images, and more, the authentic, royalty-free crests are ideal for use as spot illustrations in a variety of graphic projects.

These 212 vector-based images of visually striking Japanese crests from rare source materials include plants, animals, symbols, abstracts, and more. The versatile vector format allows the motifs to be presented as fully realized crests or as stencils. Bonus features include 40 texture fill patterns and color schemes for Adobe software programs.

A translation of a unique 17th-century compendium of samurai heraldry, annotated with the symbolism and stories behind the banners. O-umajirushi is the earliest surviving color compendium of Japanese crests and heraldry. At the time, woodblock printing was just starting to allow for widespread distribution of books in Japan. O-umajirushi took advantage of this technology to make color reproductions of the various banners and other devices used by 170 different samurai commanders. This translation presents copies of the original pages of O-umajirushi with translations, annotations, explanations, and comparisons, as well as 30 pages of context, background information, and historic images. It provides an in-depth look at samurai heraldry and into a key historical source.

From 19th-century source used by great Japanese designers — Kodai Moshiki Zuko — 444 borders, 19 full-page scenes, incredibly rich variety: chains, vines, reeds, florals, pipes, bamboo, lanterns, abstracts, ships, calligraphy, reeds, feathers, fans, nets, mazes, yang and yin, lutes, tortoises, many others!

Renowned for its superb invention, ingenuity, and sense of pattern, Japanese design has long been admired in the West. One specific kind of ornamentation, known as "mon, "is especially recognized for its unusually rhythmic and engrossing patterns. Originally designed to serve as family emblems or crests, "mon "have also been used in Japan as trademarks and for decorating such objects as kimonos and lacquered furniture. This volume presents 800 of these attractive, copyright-free designs, ready for use or adaptation by today's commercial artists, craftspeople, and designers. Combining stylized natural and geometric forms to produce striking images, "mon" lend themselves to a wide range of applications: textile and wallpaper design, floor coverings, jewelry, mosaics, and much more. A special feature of this book is the inclusion of a number of designs by the great artist Hokusai, selected from an extremely rare edition originally published in 1824. In addition, the collection contains figures based on written characters, geometrical pattern construction, kimonos, and other motifs. Jack Hillier, a well-known author and authority on Japanese art, has provided an informative and enlightening introduction to this exciting and useful design form. Dover (1994) republication of designs and English text from the work published by University of Toronto Press, Toronto, and Amstutz de Clivo Press, Zurich.