2023 Volume 23 Issue 2 Pages 89-135
Japanese monkeys have been variously regarded as hunting targets, crop raiders, deities, and cheap imitators and depicted in statues, pictures, costumes, and kamon (a Japanese family crest). In contrast to the realistic depictions in pictures, simple objects or designs have been used to represent Japanese monkeys. The kukuri-zaru ornament has been composed of two cloths, widely distributed, and used as a component in ritualsof the koshin faith, as a lucky charm, and a toy. The kukuri-zaru design was illustrated by making the kukuri-zaru ornament simpler, composed of two crescents, drawn on costumes, papers, and sword guards, and popular during the Edo era. Saru-mon (kamon using a monkey motif) consists of one or three kukuri-zaru designs. They are all non-photorealistic because of the abstract perception of the monkeys. Japanese people avoided the frequent use of realistic monkeys in kamon because monkeys are morphologically and phylogenetically close to humans.
