MC01 - Hishi 菱

Menuki with a water chestnut pattern (Hishi 菱).

Menuki Omote: Length 33mm, Width 14mm, Height 2mm

Menuki Ura: Length 33mm, Width 14mm, Height 2mm

Hishi (菱) is an aquatic plant called Trapa Japonica, or 'Water Chestnut'.
It is a marshy plant that proliferates very quickly and symbolizes prosperity.
Its fruit, edible and used since antiquity, has the particularity of having hard points 5 to 10mm long, and has been used as a caltrop.

Many clans have used this pattern since the Heian period, such as the Takeda Shingen clan with a coat of arms with 4 Hishi.
We also know this symbol in the logo of the Japanese company Mitsubishi, composed of 3 Hishi.