Shimazu Kamon Mugs
Description: 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.
Description: Shimazu Yoshihiro (島津義弘) traditionally believed to be the seventeenth head of the Shimazu clan, he was a skilled general during the Sengoku period who greatly contributed to the unification of Kyushu. His skill in battle earned him the nickname of "Devil Shimazu" (鬼島津) during Hideyoshi's attempt to invade Korea. The kamon of Shimazu clan is Juji (十字) or "cross"
