Bit Metal Ornament

The bit crest is a crest shaped like a bit. The bit is a tool that has evolved from a muzzle and is placed in a horse's mouth, so it was also called 'Kutsubami' in the past. Typically, it has a cross shape inside a ring... and is called a cross bit. There are two types of bit crests. One is a hanging bit, and the other is a cross-shaped bit. Many of the original cross bits were not shaped like bits, but rather like crosses. However, during the Tokugawa period, Christianity was strictly prohibited, and it seems that many were changed to bits to avoid suspicion (according to 'Japanese Crests' by Noda Yusuke).