Japanese Design Motifs: 4,260 Illustrations of Japanese Crests
240
Japanese Design Motifs: 4,260 Illustrations of Japanese Crests
240eBook
Available on Compatible NOOK devices, the free NOOK App and in My Digital Library.
Related collections and offers
Overview
This collection presents more than 4,000 individual designs in 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 designs, beginning with the dozens and dozens of root motifs — rice plant, gingko, scallop, lightning, anchor, spool, raft, candle, scissors, fern, saki bottle, lotus blossom, mountain arrow, pine, wisteria, ship, rabbit, and scores of others. 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, in triangles, diamonds, five- and six-pointed stars, in 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, linked rings, and treasure knot. Many of the others have rarely been seen in the West.
Graphic artists, textile designers, pattern-makers, advertisers, and other commercial artists looking for an untapped source of novel, appealing designs will find a wealth of material here. Some of these motifs can be used to suggest an exotic flavor, and others are universal and can be used almost anywhere.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780486155302 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Dover Publications |
| Publication date: | 07/03/2012 |
| Series: | Dover Pictorial Archive |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 240 |
| File size: | 40 MB |
| Note: | This product may take a few minutes to download. |
Read an Excerpt
Japanese Design Motifs
4260 Illustrations of Heraldic Crests
By Fumie Adachi
Dover Publications, Inc.
Copyright © 1972 Dover Publications, Inc.All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-486-15530-2
INTRODUCTION
The origin of the Japanese family crest goes back to the eleventh century. Each of the high-ranking courtiers in those days began using a specific textile design for his most formal costume worn at the Imperial court. The powerful ruling Fujiwara family stimulated the practice of using a symbol for each family name. The courtiers, therefore, crystallized the costume designs as their family emblems and placed them on their carriages as well. These emblems later became the family crests used on costumes for formal occasions—one crest in the center of the back, one on the back of each sleeve, and, as the height of formality, one each on the left and right front. The emblems used by the courtiers were refined and elegant. They included wisteria, peony, iris, autumn bellflower and crane.
When the Heian Period came to an end and the warrior class took over the government at the end of the twelfth century, the warriors used their own emblems on their banners, flags, weapons and hanging screens to identify their camps and headquarters in time of war. The warriors, who recognized that they were less cultured, copied with admiration what the courtiers did.
The courtier and his household used the same crest among them. The warrior let his family use his crest as it was but had his retainers use variations of his crest.
During the Muromachi Period in the fifteenth century, the warriors' family crests underwent extensive development. With wars occurring more frequently and battles en masse replacing single combat, the family crests proved useful for identifying the opposing factions. Since identification on the battlefield became the main purpose of the crests, the warriors designed emblems that were simple, conspicuous and easy to recognize.
When the Edo Period began at the beginning of the seventeenth century, the family crests were more widely used. There were no more wars, and therefore the family crests once more became ornaments on formal costumes. Conspicuous, odd emblems were no longer in favor; symmetrical designs were liked, and a circle around the emblem became popular. Embroidered family crests were often used for other decorative purposes. In this period the common people began to use family crests to add to the beauty of their kimonos.
In the Meiji Period (1868-1912) which followed the Edo Period, the use of a crest representing any form of chrysanthemum was prohibited because it was the symbol of the Imperial family.
There are between 300 and 500 basic designs of family crests. If their variations are added, there are several thousands. They include animals, plants, natural phenomena, manufactured objects and geometric forms. Circles, angular forms, geometric designs and diamond shapes are based on the primitive designs.
The refined floral and bird designs preferred by the courtiers have already been mentioned. The designs which the warriors used were the folding fan, dragon, arrow, arrowhead, hoe, dragonfly and other objects familiar to them. The shell, dragon and cloud, bat, Chinese hat, shippo ("seven treasures"), balance weight and others were taken from designs used under the Ming Dynasty.
In the Edo Period people began using objects familiar to them, such as the stylized snowflake, wild goose, rabbit, mountain and mist, sailboat, oar, spool, sickle, tsuzumi (a type of hand drum), spinning top, rice-pounder and ladder.
Currently all kinds of badges for corporations and organizations, trademarks and city symbols are fast developing. The family crests are still being used on formal kimonos and haori (short coats) for men, women and even for children. However, the family crests seem to be losing their significance as symbols of the family names.
FUMIE ADACHI
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Japanese Design Motifs by Fumie Adachi. Copyright © 1972 Dover Publications, Inc.. Excerpted by permission of Dover Publications, Inc..
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
This collection presents more than 4,000 individual designs in 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 designs, beginning with the dozens and dozens of root motifs—rice plant, gingko, scallop, lightning, anchor, spool, raft, candle, scissors, fern, saki bottle, lotus blossom, mountain arrow, pine, wisteria, ship, rabbit, and scores of others. 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, in triangles, diamonds, five- and six-pointed stars, in 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, linked rings, and treasure knot. Many of the others have rarely been seen in the West.
Graphic artists, textile designers, pattern-makers, advertisers, and other commercial artists looking for an untapped source of novel, appealing designs will find a wealth of material here. Some of these motifs can be used to suggest an exotic flavor, and others are universal and can be used almost anywhere.
Dover unabridged publication of the catalog originally compiled around 1913 by the Matsuya Piece-Goods Store, Tokyo.