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Help Identity Our Mon.


IJASWORDS

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As owners of military swords, many of us have swords with a family or clan mon. From time to time they are posted in different threads for identification. 

I would love to see a dedicated thread on the photographic recording of them and contributions from members who can identity the Mon. 

I have attached one such mon , which looks like three open fans that I would like identified . 

Hopefully it will encourage those knowledgeable on the subject to help us out . I tag and catalogue my swords with all the information I can find , including the mon.

If this thread is flagging , I will keep putting more up . 

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According to Hawley's book MON 1976 p.60 it seems to be a variation of the Hiogi (fan) mon. Only one family is given for it, the SUGAU...as yours is "smooth" rather than "slatted" it must be either an allied family or maybe just some family who invented it for themselves after c.1850s. You'll need to do more searching.

Regards,

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Good morning Brandon

 

From the left:

 

Maru Ni Tsuta (Japanese Ivy within a circle)

 

Maru Ni Katabami (Creeping Wood Sorrel within a circle)

 

Maru Ni Go San Ni Sasa (Bamboo Leaves within a circle)

 

Kyumai Sasa (Bamboo Leaves)

 

Maru Ni Gashiwa (Daimyo Oak within a circle)

 

Maru Ni Hanare Ken Katabami (Creeping Wood Sorrel leaves and swords within a circle)

 

Maru Ni Shippo Hanabishi (Diamond shaped Water Chestnut  Leaves and Good luck symbol within a circle)

 

(Shippo originally a Buddhist term said to represent the seven treasures (Gold, Silver, Pearls, Agate, Crystal, Coral & Lapis Lazuli).

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All,  I have always been fascinating by kamon and have a good selection of books on the subject, the majority of which do not attribute them to families for the simple reason that, unlike European heraldry which was regulated by the heralds, there was no official regulation of them. The only book I have managed to acquire is Seishi Kamon no Jiten which lists modern family names and the kamon they use.

Ian Bottomley

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Good morning Brandon

 

From the left:

 

Maru Ni Tsuta (Japanese Ivy within a circle)

 

Maru Ni Katabami (Creeping Wood Sorrel within a circle)

 

Maru Ni Go San Ni Sasa (Bamboo Leaves within a circle)

 

Kyumai Sasa (Bamboo Leaves)

 

Maru Ni Gashiwa (Daimyo Oak within a circle)

 

Maru Ni Hanare Ken Katabami (Creeping Wood Sorrel leaves and swords within a circle)

 

Maru Ni Shippo Hanabishi (Diamond shaped Water Chestnut  Leaves and Good luck symbol within a circle)

 

(Shippo originally a Buddhist term said to represent the seven treasures (Gold, Silver, Pearls, Agate, Crystal, Coral & Lapis Lazuli).

Hello Brandon,

 

I have a similar mon but alway thought this is Mimura family.

But maybe as Divide wrote, many families used the same mon.

 

thanks

Klaus

 

 

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post-683-0-69859400-1567162199_thumb.jpg

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Hi Neil

 

Image 1 is Maru Ni Hitotsu Chanomi (Tea Plant within a circle)

 

Image 2 is Maru Ni Yotsume or Maru Ni Yotsu Kuginuki as mentioned previously

 

Image 3 (Menuki) Looks like Maru Ni Katabami

 

Hi Klaus, yours is known as Maru Ni Hanare Ken Katabami the illustration of the Mimura Family Kamon is known as Ken Katabami

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Hi Bruce

 

Image 1 Menuki - Sagari Fuji / Huji ( Hanging Wisteria)

 

Image 2 Maru Ni Gosan Kiri (3 5 3 blossom Paulownia (Empress Tree) within a circle)

 

Image 3 (Prince Asaka Yasuhiko) Wow!!!, that's not in the books, so its going to be a compilation guess.

 

Working from the centre out, its a 16 petal Chrysanthemum - Jyuroku Giku /Kiku and 4 Tsuru (Vine Tendrils) flanked on the left and right by three leaf Daimyo Oak leaves Mitsu Gashiwa, the top and bottom have me stumped, overall in a Diamond lozenge shape Hishi gata.

 

So Hishigata Jyuroku Giku / Kiku Yotsu Tsuru Nozoki Mitsu Gashiwa and?  

 

I used Nozoki because the three leaves are "peeping"

 

 ....Steve M!!! 

 

The Emperor's Kamon is 16 petals and 16 tips  all other Imperial family and Shinto shrine variations are workings on this.

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I should put in a better pic of that kikumon shown on Bruce/John's post just above.

Families given in Hawley p.3 are non-royal families connected to the Imperial families. This "diamond" shape kiku is quite rare - Kimura, Nakamura, Toda families. Don't know how many used it in WWII.

Regards,

 

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The Prince Asaka Yasuhiko one is challenging.

For sure it is the kamon (or kashō - 家章) of the Higashikuni-no-miya branch of the Imperial family (something like the brother of the great-grandfather on the mother's side of the current emperor). I can find other references to this kamon on the web, but haven't yet found out what its called or how to describe it - except for the few sites that simply call it the Higashikuni-kiku mon. Given the complexity of the design, I'm inclined to think this may be the official name of the design. 

 

See the entry about 31 from the top here

https://ippongi.org/2009/01/12/kiku/

 

I think the leafs are chrysanthemum leaves, and I think the flowers on the top and bottom are side-view chrysanthemums. So that would make it "ha-tsuki" and "yoko-mi" (葉付き、横見) but already the name starts to become confusingly long. 

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Hi Steve

 

You really are like the 7th Cavalry.... :thumbsup:

 

"I think the leafs are chrysanthemum leaves, and I think the flowers on the top and bottom are side-view chrysanthemums. So that would make it "ha-tsuki" and "yoko-mi" (葉付き、横見) but already the name starts to become confusingly long. "

 

I agree with you on the side leaves and I had a suspicion that the top and bottom were side views, but I wasn't sure what of. 

 

Now it makes perfect sense.

 

As Higashikuni Mon is used as a reference to the collateral branch of the Imperial family called the Higashikuni no Miya, granted to his half brother Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni in 1906 by the Emperor Meiji.

 

It raises the question, is the original listing on Buyee incorrect and should it be ascribed instead to Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni or his son Prince Morio Higashikuni?

 

https://buyee.jp/item/yahoo/auction/x639040421/detail

 

:dunno:

 

Also, for those with an interest, this page from Steve's excellent link shows some unusual Kamon and modern logo which have almost become Kamon in their own right, including that of the author of Kwaidan - Yakumo Koizumi (Lafcadio Hearn) and Professor Donald Keene:

 

https://ippongi.org/2011/12/22/%e5%89%b5%e4%bd%9c%e7%b4%8b%e3%80%80%ef%bc%8d%e5%ae%b6%e7%b4%8b%e3%81%ae%e8%87%aa%e7%94%b1%e3%81%95%e3%82%92%e6%9c%80%e5%a4%a7%e9%99%90%e3%81%ab%e7%94%9f%e3%81%8b%e3%81%97%e3%81%9f%e3%82%aa%e3%83%aa/

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