A Grammar of Japanese Ornament and Design

In this printed work, there are 35 kinds of Kamon (家紋, family crest), with animal, plant, and insect elements. There are over 20000 types of family crests in Japan, which can be roughly divided into four categories. The most common one is plant-based patterns accounting for about a quarter of the total quantity. Family crests were originally used to identify enemies and allies on the battlefield and to show off a family's bravery, but in the Edo period they became a symbol of authority, representing the family's rank in the status system.