Tomoe
Encyclopedia
A tomoe or tomoye is a Japan
ese abstract
shape
(a swirl
) that resembles a comma
or the usual form of magatama
. It is a common design element in and corporate
logo
s, particularly in triplicate whorls known as . Some view the mitsudomoe as representative of the threefold division (Man, Earth, and Sky) at the heart of the Shinto
religion. Originally, it was associated with the Shinto war deity Hachiman
, and through that was adopted by the samurai
as their traditional symbol. One mitsudomoe variant, the Hidari Gomon, is the traditional symbol of Okinawa. The Koyasan Shingon sect of Buddhism uses the Hidari Gomon as a visual representation of the cycle of life.
The tomoe is very similar in design to the Korean sam-taegeuk, Tibetan Gankyil
or Chinese yin-yang
/ taijitu
symbols.
On the opposite side of Eurasia
, the Basque
lauburu
and some forms of the Celt
ic spiral triskele resemble small groups of tomoe.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese abstract
Abstract art
Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an...
shape
Shape
The shape of an object located in some space is a geometrical description of the part of that space occupied by the object, as determined by its external boundary – abstracting from location and orientation in space, size, and other properties such as colour, content, and material...
(a swirl
Swirl
Swirl may refer to:* Swirl , an Australian indie rock band* Swirl , a multi-ethnic organization* Swirl 360, an American pop-rock band* Sega Swirl, a puzzle game for the Sega Dreamcast* Swirl , a quantity in fluid dynamics...
) that resembles a comma
Comma
A comma is a type of punctuation mark . The word comes from the Greek komma , which means something cut off or a short clause.Comma may also refer to:* Comma , a type of interval in music theory...
or the usual form of magatama
Magatama
Magatama , are curved beads which first appeared in Japan during the Jōmon period.They are often found inhumed in mounded tumulus graves as offerings to deities . They continued to be popular with the ruling elites throughout the Kofun Period of Japan, and are often romanticised as indicative of...
. It is a common design element in and corporate
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
logo
Logo
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
s, particularly in triplicate whorls known as . Some view the mitsudomoe as representative of the threefold division (Man, Earth, and Sky) at the heart of the Shinto
Shinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
religion. Originally, it was associated with the Shinto war deity Hachiman
Hachiman
In Japanese mythology, is the Japanese syncretic god of archery and war, incorporating elements from both Shinto and Buddhism. Although often called the god of war, he is more correctly defined as the tutelary god of warriors. He is also divine protector of Japan and the Japanese people...
, and through that was adopted by the samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
as their traditional symbol. One mitsudomoe variant, the Hidari Gomon, is the traditional symbol of Okinawa. The Koyasan Shingon sect of Buddhism uses the Hidari Gomon as a visual representation of the cycle of life.
The tomoe is very similar in design to the Korean sam-taegeuk, Tibetan Gankyil
Gankyil
The Gankyil[Tibetan:དགའ་འཁྱིལ་] is a symbol and ritual tool in Tibetan Buddhism, Bön, Himalayan Shamanism and Korean Buddhism. In Bön and Nyingma Dzogchen lineages, the Gankyil is the principal symbol and teaching tool: it is symbolic of primordial energy and represents the central unity and...
or Chinese yin-yang
Yin and yang
In Asian philosophy, the concept of yin yang , which is often referred to in the West as "yin and yang", is used to describe how polar opposites or seemingly contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other in turn. Opposites thus only...
/ taijitu
Taijitu
Taijitu is a term which refers to a Chinese symbol for the concept of yin and yang...
symbols.
On the opposite side of Eurasia
Eurasia
Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
, the Basque
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
lauburu
Lauburu
The lauburu or Basque cross has four comma-shaped heads similar to the Japanese tomoe. It can be constructed with a compass and straightedge, beginning with the formation of a square template; each head can be drawn from a neighboring vertex of this template with two compass settings, with one...
and some forms of the Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic spiral triskele resemble small groups of tomoe.