French composer, pianist, and organist. Saint-Saëns was a master of technique and a prolific composer. He wrote many lyrical Romantic pieces and symphonic poems. He is well known for the opera Samson et Dalila (1877), which was prohibited on the French stage until 1892, and the uncharacteristic orchestral piece Le carnaval des animaux/The Carnival of the Animals (1886), his most popular work.
The mon, the central red disc, is called Hi-no-maru or sun-disc. The disc is set slightly towards the hoist. White symbolizes honesty and purity. Effective date: 5 August 1854.