Japanese Patterns of Design

6 comments

  • Where can I buy the book show under the caption “Examples of how to design a kamon in various patterns”? It is shown following the two images captioned “The Kamon sample book that Shoryu’s grandfather used”. I tried searching for it but had no luck. I am extremely interested in the mathematics behind designing kamon.

    • Hi Audrey,

      Thanks for the comment! Well, it’s quite unfortunate that the book is not sold anymore. We might be able to find it on the second-hand bookstore, but we assume chances are slim.
      This is something we want to know ourselves, too, the way to design patterns based on traditional kamon designing method. When we interviewed Shoryu and Yoji Hatoba (Japanese family crest artisans) at their studio in Tokyo, they told us they have immersed themselves with those patterns since the childhood, which made them learn how to create patterns naturally. So the best thing we suggest you, for now, is to look at existing kamon books, such as “Japanese Design Motifs: 4,260 Illustrations of Japanese Crests” https://amzn.to/2SysNeN and “Elements Of Japanese Design: Handbook Of Family Crests, Heraldry & Symbolism (Handbook of Family Crests, Heraldry and Symbolism)” https://amzn.to/2KZl6M2. It’d be truly wonderful if we figured out the algorithm behind them and established the designing method!

      Hope it helps!

      Hiroko

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Through digging Japanese history, we believe we can find more beauty through exploring patterns, designs, and spirits backed by our curiosity. We share the thoughts and images for the better understanding of what the country with the world's largest history can offer. Enjoy exploring and discovering insights with us.

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