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Tomoe (巴, also written 鞆絵),[a] commonly translated as "comma",[2][3] is a comma-like swirl symbol used in Japanese mon (roughly equivalent to a heraldic badge or charge in European heraldry). It closely resembles the usual form of a magatama.
The tomoe appears in many designs with various uses. The simplest, most common patterns of the device contain from one to four tomoe, and are reminiscent of similar designs that have been found in wide distribution around the world. When circumscribed in a circle, it often appears in a set of three, with this design known as the mitsudomoe (三ツ巴).[4]
- ^ Brown 1998, p. 186.
- ^ Turnbull 2012, p. 43.
- ^ van Gulik 1982, p. 168.
- ^ Repp 2002, p. 171.
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