Kaō
Template:Infobox transliteration
A kaō or huāyā is a stylized signature or a mark used in East Asia in place of a true signature.
History
China
The oldest surviving record of kaō is the Book of Northern Qi, which is the official history record book of the Chinese dynasty Northern Qi.[1] As years gone by, the popularity of kaō slowly grew in China. Kaō reached its peak popularity in Northern Song.[2] Since then, its popularity started declining.
Japan
Kaō first spread to Japan during the Heian period.[3] Though their use became far less widespread after the Edo period, they continue to be used even by some contemporary politicians and other famous people.[4] The reading and identification of individual kaō often requires specialist knowledge; whole books devoted to the topic have been published.[5]
Often used by Japanese swordsmiths on the sword tang (nakago).
See also
- Tughra, stylised Arabic signatures used by Ottoman sultans
- Khelrtva, stylised Georgian calligraphic signatures
- Signature
References
- ↑ 李百药 (November 2020), 北齐书, 中国社会科学出版社, ISBN 978-7-5203-7496-5
- ↑ "日本的“花押”到底是什么?". June 6, 2020. https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/146027372.
- ↑ 望月 鶴川 [Kakusen Mochizuki] (June 2005), 朝陽会 [Chōyōkai], ISBN 978-4-903059-03-7
- ↑ 佐藤 進一 [Satō Shin'ichi] (September 2000), 平凡社 [Heibonsha], ISBN 978-4-582-76367-6
- ↑ 上島 有 [Tamotsu Kamishima] (December 2004), 山川出版社 [Yamakawa Shuppansha], JPNO 20717189, ISBN 978-4-634-52330-2