Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1897-08-06
JAPANESE SWORDS.
Blades Of Finest Steel in deliberately
Carved and Jsweled Hits.


Carved and Jsweled Hits.
Up to the year 1877, if a japanese
gentleman was asked to name his best
friend be would significantly touch
his sword From time immemorial
it has been the custom to wear side
arms in Japan, and when an edict was
issued in 1877, a flood of useless
swords was thrown upon the market;
weapons which represented peculiar
art at once aesthetic and surrounded
by glamour of romance and chivalry.
The japanese were famous for the
variety of their swords and daggers,
used on various occasions. The
katana was a sword about two feet
long, the wakizashi about half of that.
On ceremonial occasions the chisa-
katana, three feet in length, was used.
The hakama indicated that the wearer
was of gentle birth; while officials of
low rank wore the aikuchi, short,
guardless dirk. This was also used by
professional men, while hunters used
the nodatchi.
The swords of noblemen in full
dress we're often Of great value and
beauty. Conveniently placed was the
katana and tanto; behind, in the CIR
die, was thrust the richly-ornamented
metezashi, while at the sidewas gor-
geous affair-the yepu modatchi, in
its richly-laquercd seabbard. Each
sword was a study in itself, and each
portion was unique and perfect from
an artistic standpoint. The principal
parts were the top of the hilt, or
kashira, often of richly carved bronze
or silver; the curious ornaments of
menuki, bound into the sides Of the
hilt. Thesewere Of the greatestvariety,
in gold, silver, and bronze-each a
perfectly carved object in art, their
purpose being to serve the grasp.
Then came the little knives that fit in
the scabbard, the kodzuka and kogai.
The scabbard itself was thing of
beauty, often of magnolia wood, rich
ly tinted in variety of colors, or in
laid with pearl, gold, silver OF bronze.
The guard, or ysuba, was often the
principal feature of this work of art.
being of gold, silver, OF bronze, richly
ornamented, inlaid, or carved. Some
collections in this country include
hundreds of these guards alone, the
greater number beingin bronze. The
rivets we're all covered with rich orna-
ments, called menuki, and so on to the
cords which bound it, the sword was
essentially artistic and aesthetic.
The swords of the japanese may all
be considered works of art, but they
vary in point of beauty and decoration
as well as price, and those made by
famous artists brought large sums,
$4,000 often being paid for perfect
sword not jeweled. When a number
of famous sword owners met, the
sword, naturally, became a subject of
conversation, and numerous tests were
given by the skilled swordsmen of the
day. 1t is said that on one occasion
lyeyasu, who was the author of a vel
luminous work on sword etiquette and
the owner of fine sword, was once
travelling in the interior, and stopped
at night at a little inn where several
other noblemen were resting. The
subject of their swords was touched |
upon, and from one word to another |
they were led into a dispute regard |
ing the qualities of the blades. To |
settle it, they agreed upon several |
tests One of the strangers had a
-ong, attenuated blade which he drew
from its sheath; then, barring
his arm, he held pillow, and with
quick movement struck it, severing
t as though it were paper-an ex-
raordinary test. Iyeyasu did the
anne; then, seeing a large cub bear,
he ordered his men to throw it up
ward. They did so, and as it dropped
lie severed it with single blow, in the
lir, thus winning the contest. His
word was made by the great artist
Naga-Mitza, A. d. 1879, and was
famed Adzuki-Naga-Mitza, this be-
ng its guarantee, that it could sever
bear at single blown. Y. Times.