The origin and roots of the monogram design

The origin of the visually recognizable and popular monogram

Monograms (combined letters) are a very popular design motif.

When you hear the word monogram, many people may think of a few famous brands, but because it is a simple design made up of combined letters that makes it easy to recognize individuals or groups, its origins date back to ancient times when it was used as a symbol of religion and the authority of medieval royalty and nobility.

A monogram of Christian holiness

A monogram is basically a stylized combination of initials or spellings of a person's name or place name.

The three letters that represent Jesus Christ come from the first three letters of the Greek word KRISTOS and the Latin word 'Christos' and are still revered today.

The spread of Christianity is recorded in architecture, utensils, and jewelry, and there are many examples of decorations around the letters, mainly from each region. As a result, there are a variety of designs that include surrounding decorations, like Celtic manuscripts, rather than simple monograms.

A sophisticated monogram for royalty and nobility

Monograms from long ago were designed to gain recognition, but as time has passed, they have become more sophisticated in design.

This is partly because design had not yet evolved that much in the Middle Ages, but the main purpose of monograms was to ensure the credibility of the inscription.

The monograms inscribed on the jewelry and souvenirs of royalty and aristocracy are highly designed, and the monogram on the plate commemorating the wedding of the Crown Prince of Denmark, made in Copenhagen, is so designed that it is difficult to recognize the alphabet at a glance.

Development as branding and corporate logo

Nowadays, monograms have come full circle and are simple in design so that it is easy to tell which company they represent at a glance, and as mentioned at the beginning, it is common to see monograms as corporate logos.

In the sense that it serves to prove an organization or affiliation rather than to identify an individual, it may have a similar impression to Japanese family crests.