Hotta Mokko Mug

The crest used by the Masatoshi family, a cadet branch of the Hotta family, was initially a vertically oriented mokko with cut corners. According to 'Kansei Choshu Shoka Fu,' Masatoshi changed it to the current crest on July 22, 1679. The current crest is the 'Hotta Mokko' with a 'stone-holding background,' nearly 20 years after the main family line became extinct. Moreover, the Hotta family's territory, after being transferred to the Ou region, was restored to its old ties in Sakura in 1746. During the tumultuous late Edo period, the Hotta family produced Masayoshi Hotta, the last senior councilor, who faced difficulties in concluding the provisional treaty with American envoy Harris. He was replaced by Naosuke Ii, who was later assassinated at Sakuradamon Gate. (From 'The Family Crests of Daimyo Families' by Kenichi Takahashi, p.213). The Hotta Mokko differs from a simple vertically oriented mokko with a stone-holding background.