Wednesday 21 August 2013

Significant Details About Oriental Family Symbolism

By Takamitsu Hairi


Japanese people still give enough significance to the family system and so the family symbols also haven't lost their significance until today. This concept of family symbols called 'Ka-mon' has been influencing them for the the last eight centuries. The word 'Ka' signifies family with a genealogical tree of its own and 'mon' means emblem.

At the same time, in Europe also a crest was popular named '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 boasts multiple and unique features which are impossible to decipher by giving them generalized explanations.

The mon as the Japanese symbol for family is known has no real defined set of rules. The most usual feature is that of a disc which is circling the figure of an animal, plants, immortal or natural bodies and even man-made objects.

All of these items are placed on the family symbol in an abstracted form. The use of the Kanji script is also common in the family symbols. You can also find geometric shapes and religious symbols in the Japanese family crest.

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 represent its depiction rather it only seeks to explain it. The blazon in the mon is not in perspective and this makes it quite different from 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.

On the selection of the colours also, there are no specific restrictions. However, most of the mon symbols are found in a black and white colour. The modern generations are not accustomed to the family symbols and most of the Japanese families today may not be able to distinguish their mon because of the rare usage. Still there are some families that hold this custom dear.

When a family is in need of finding their mon, the temple records that keep the registries of the ancestral places of people can be used. There are so many other ways to find the mon of each family when they are required.

The Japanese family symbols are obtainable for sale at many of the traditional arts and crafts shops all over the world. You will find the family symbol to be used in the interior decorations of restaurants as well as on ceramic roof tiles. Many Japanese packed foods also contain the mon.




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