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象嵌 (ぞうがん) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Freq. Frequency Top 100,000 Conjugation Meanings 1
noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', transitive verb
inlay ; inlaying ; damascening
Refers to the decorative technique of setting pieces of metal, shell, or other materials into a surface. Often used in traditional crafts such as metalwork and woodwork.
にん
が
銀ぎん
を
鉄てつ
に
象ぞう
嵌がん
する
。
The craftsman inlays silver into iron.
Written forms 象ぞう 嵌がん Usage 66%
Standard kanji form; the most common spelling for inlay work.
象ぞう 眼がん Usage 34%
Alternate kanji form, also used in traditional contexts.
Kanji 象 elephant, pattern after, imitate Etymology The term 象嵌 (zōgan) is a Sino-Japanese compound. 象 (zō) here means 'to shape' or 'to imitate', and 嵌 (gan) means 'to fit into' or 'to inlay'. The alternate form 象眼 uses 眼 (gan, 'eye') for its visual resemblance, but the meaning is the same.
