their to avoid offending their superior. The held by the ruling clans of Japan, such as Tokugawa's hollyhock and the Emperor's chrysanthemum , were legally protected from unauthorized usage. Occasionally, patron clans granted the use of their to their retainers as a reward. Similar to the granting of the patron's surnames, this was considered a very high honor. Alternatively, the patron clan may have added elements of its to that of its retainer, or chosen an entirely different for them. Design There are no set rules in the design of a . Most consist of a roundel encircling a figure of plant, animal, man-made, natural or celestial objects, all abstracted to various degrees. Religious symbols, geometric shapes and kanji were commonly used as well. Similar to the blazon in European heraldry, are also named by the content of the design, even though there is no set rule for such names. Unlike in European heraldry, however, this "blazon" is not prescriptive—the depiction of a does not follow the name—instead the names only serve to describe the . The pictorial depictions of the are not formalized and small variations of what is supposed to be the same can sometimes be seen, but the designs are for the most part standardized through time and tradition. The degree of variation tolerated differ from to as well. For example, the paulownia crest with 5-7-5 leaves is reserved for the prime minister, whereas paulownia with fewer leaves could be used by anyone. The imperial chrysanthemum also specifies 16 petals, whereas chrysanthemum with fewer petals are used by other lesser imperial family members. Japanese heraldry does not have a cadency or quartering system, but it is not uncommon for cadet branches of a family to choose a slightly different from the senior branch. Each princely family (), for example, uses a modified chrysanthemum crest as their . holders may also combine their with that of their patron, benefactor or spouse, sometimes creating increasingly complicated designs. are essentially monochrome; the color does not constitute part of the design and they may be drawn in any color. Modern usage Virtually all modern Japanese families have a , but unlike before the Meiji Restoration when rigid social divisions existed, play a more specialized role in everyday life. On occasions when the use of a is required, one can try to look up their families in the temple registries of their