Kao (花押) were stylised identification signatures used on important papers by the lords and nobility of Japan since the Heian Period.

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Toyotomi Hideyoshi‘s Kao)

The reading and identification of the many Kao was difficult, and so books showing samples of the
various daimyo’s Kao were produced.

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Oda Nobunaga‘s Kao)

Some politicians, traditional artists, celebrities and persons of note use Kao even to this day in place of a signature or autograph. Kao collectors scour antique shops and markets seeking new and interesting

Kao of Japan’s historical figures.

 

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