Water with Waterwheel Mug

Mizuni Suisha (Water with Waterwheel) is also known as Hishakuguruma (ladle wheel). It is a crest that depicts a waterwheel. A waterwheel is a device that is turned by the power of water, and there are two types: one with boards attached to the spokes and one with ladles attached to the circumference. The one with ladles is called a ladle wheel. The crest is said to be based on this ladle wheel. However, in later years, the ladle was mistaken for a mallet due to its similar shape, and the crest was referred to as a mallet wheel. Some crest books even depict it as a mallet. However, it is clear that it is not a mallet, as some old crests show the stitching of the ladle, and the 'Kansei Chofu Shoka Fu' (a historical record) explicitly states that the crest of the Doi family is 'waterwheel with eight ladles'. This refers to a waterwheel with eight ladles. (From 'Nihon Monshogaku' by Yoriyoshi Numata) This design is based on 'Mizuni Suisha' from the same book, with my own interpretation added.