Paulownia Crest (Go-san Kiri-mon) — Documented Kamon Motif, Muromachi–Edo preview

Historical Context

Editorially reviewed

Kenmon Shokamon is a Muromachi album of drawings of warrior-house marks, compiled around 1467–1470 (the Ōnin–Bunmei years). Names now attached to those drawings are later catalogue labels, not original Muromachi captions. Within that album, go-san and go-shichi kiri already appear as distinct drawings. Paulownia as a military charge is earlier in the Mōko Shūrai Ekotoba, but those flags are unlabeled as to blossom count. Edo catalogues continue named kiri cuts, including Hideyoshi’s later go-shichi taikō-kiri, which is not this type.

Provenance: Kenmon Shokamon drawings include both go-san kiri (for example a head-joined triple go-san kiri) and go-shichi kiri (for example kikkō-ni go-shichi kiri), with enclosed and open forms treated as separate plates. Mōko Shūrai Ekotoba flags show unlabeled paulownia charges, not this named 3-5-3 type.

Research status: reviewed · reviewed 31/08/2026

Sources

2 references
  1. Kenmon Shokamon (見聞諸家紋)

    Kenmon Shokamon (見聞諸家紋; also called Higashiyama-dono Gomonchō), c. 1467–1470. Muromachi album of drawings of warrior-house marks observed on banners and camp curtains. Motif type-names on the drawings are later catalogue labels, not Muromachi captions written with the original plates. (National Diet Library (later transcript))

    Supports: Supports that Kenmon already draws both go-san and go-shichi kiri, plus oni-kiri and enclosed versus open forms, as separate drawings rather than one named mark.

  2. Mōko Shūrai Ekotoba (蒙古襲来絵詞)

    Mōko Shūrai Ekotoba (蒙古襲来絵詞), illustrated scroll of the 1274 Mongol invasion; surviving recension late thirteenth century. Paulownia appears as a military flag charge without go-san or go-shichi labels.

    Supports: Supports unlabeled paulownia as a late-thirteenth-century military charge; does not identify those flags as the named go-san 3-5-3 type.

How to cite this page

Paulownia Crest (Go-san Kiri-mon) — Documented Kamon Motif, Muromachi–Edo. Sanctum Hex Vault. Reviewed 31/08/2026. https://vault.sanctumhex.com/symbols/japanese-family-crests-kamon-mon-historically-documented-motif-types-from-heian-through-edo-periods-paulownia-crest-go-san-kiri-mon-documented-kamon-motif-muromachi-edo

https://vault.sanctumhex.com/symbols/japanese-family-crests-kamon-mon-historically-documented-motif-types-from-heian-through-edo-periods-paulownia-crest-go-san-kiri-mon-documented-kamon-motif-muromachi-edo

Heraldry & Emblems

Paulownia Crest (Go-san Kiri-mon) — Documented Kamon Motif, Muromachi–Edo

A plant-type family mark of three paulownia leaves beneath three upright racemes in the go-san (3-5-3) blossom count.

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Associated meanings

Editorially reviewedHistorically supported

Common Uses

Family heraldryCeremonial bannersArchitecture ornamentation

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