The over 4,000 individual designs collected here represent 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 design, beginning with the dozens and dozens of root motifs-rice plant, gingko, scallop, lightning, anchor, spool, raft, candle, scissors, fern, sake bottle, lotus blossom, lotus root, mountain, arrow, Buddhist cross, pine, wisteria, ship, butterfly, tortoise shell, rabbit, Chinese characters, iron drawer-handle, key, sickle, and so many others that it would be impossible to list even half of them here. 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...