Shimazu Clan kamon with text Pillow

The Shimazu clan were the lords of Satsuma province in south Kyusu for nearly 700 years, from the 1180s through the 1870s, commanding considerable power and semi-independence within their domain. This is the kamon (family crest) of the Shimazu clan, the Jyuji (cross), there are many meanings for this mark; one says that they are a set of chopsticks that was used to celebrate to take the field, the other says that the mark represents two dragons, or it is simply a symbol of Christianity. Below the crest is “Shimazu” in kanji.