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= Artistic Use Does Not Override Legal Meaning =
''Category: Crests''
''Page status: Working''

== Purpose ==
To affirm that creative or decorative presentation cannot replace inherited responsibility.

== General Principle ==
Artistic use does not override legal meaning.

== Explanation ==
Crests may appear in carving, painting, regalia, or contemporary media.  
While artistic expression can honor tradition, it does not change ownership, authority, or obligation.  
Law remains attached to history.

== Authority ==
Meaning is upheld through:
* [[Adaawk]]
* [[Houses]]
* [[Elders]]
* [[Witnessed Practice]]

== Implications ==
Observers must distinguish art from entitlement.  
Respect for holders is maintained.  
Continuity protects legitimacy.

== Limits ==
Art cannot authorize use beyond lawful standing.  
Creative interpretation must not distort responsibility.

== Cross-References ==
* [[A Crest Cannot Be Separated From Its History]]
* [[Unauthorized Use Is a Violation of Law]]
* [[Display Must Align With Lawful Context]]