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    Japanese Design Motifs
    Japanese Design Motifs
    Japanese Design Motifs
    Ebook134 pages9 minutes

    Japanese Design Motifs

    By Matsuya Company

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    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.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDover Publications
    Release dateJul 31, 2012
    ISBN9780486155302
    Japanese Design Motifs

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    3.5/5

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    • 2/5
      A large collection of mon are displayed here; but little to no information is given in English. The Japanese kanji next to the mon are also of little help as they are descriptive such as "seven yabane in a wheel" rather than listing the family or school associated with the mon. An interesting book for graphic designers, perhaps, but not very useful for kamon identification.

    Book preview

    Japanese Design Motifs - Matsuya Company

    Copyright © 1972 by Dover Publications, Inc.

    All rights reserved under Pan American and International Copyright Conventions.

    Japanese Design Motifs: 4,260 Illustrations of Heraldic Crests contains all the illustrations from the Matsuya Piece-Goods Store compilation of traditional Japanese heraldic crests, originally published in Japan c. 1913.

    The Japanese Foreword and Table of Contents have been translated specially for the present edition by Fumie Adachi, who has also contributed a new Introduction. An English Index of Motifs has been added.

    DOVER Pictorial Archives SERIES

    This book belongs to the Dover Pictorial Archive Series. You may use the designs and illustrations for graphics and crafts applications, free and without special permission, provided that you include no more than ten in the same publication or project. (For permission for additional use, please write to Dover Publications, Inc., 31 East 2nd Street, Mineola, N.Y. 11501.)

    However, republication or reproduction of any illustration by any other graphic service whether it be in a book or in any other design resource is strictly prohibited.

    9780486155302

    Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 72-86225

    Manufactured in the United States of America

    Dover Publications, Inc.

    31 East 2nd Street

    Mineola, NY 11501

    Table of Contents

    Title Page

    Copyright Page

    INTRODUCTION TO THE DOVER EDITION

    FOREWORD TO THE ORIGINAL

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