Huaya

Huaya
Kaō of lord Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598)
Chinese name
Chinese花押
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyinhuāyā
Vietnamese name
Vietnamese alphabethoa áp
Chữ Hán花押
Korean name
Hangul화압
Hanja花押
Transcriptions
Revised RomanizationHwaap
McCune–ReischauerHwaap
Japanese name
Kanji花押
Kanaかおう
Transcriptions
RomanizationKaō

Huaya ("flower seal"; Chinese: 花押; pinyin: Huā Yā; Korean: 화압, romanized: Hwaap; Japanese: 花押, romanized: Kaō, Vietnamese: hoa áp, chữ Hán: 花押) are stylized signatures or marks used in East Asian cultures in place of a true signature. Originating from China, the huaya was historically used by prominent figures such as government officials, monks, artists, and craftsmen. The use of stamp seals gradually replaced the huaya, though they are still used occasionally in modern times by important people.