The San Mateo item. (San Mateo City, Putnam County, Fla) 189?-19??, 1909-03-06
SS~oeoeoso>o~oso.oso-o~e~'
! JAP ANESE
!: SWORDS
'SOME SPECULATIONS CON-
CORNING THE SWORD. 4!
MAKERS ART. I:
.o.o.o.O.o.o.o-o.o.o.oA.,


Examples OF the ancient swords o.
the samural may be seen In the Jap
aneBe collection OF the Chicago Ar
Institute. There Is said TO be In all
the world no more superb metal work
than that displayed in the chisellng OF
the guard and the adjuncts OF the
hilt, and no higher degree Of tech
meal skill than that used In combin-
Ing the various metals to gain the
desired effect Of decoration. For the
curves, sinuoslties and scallopings
shown In the tempering line, which
were employed together in accord.
ance with the caprice OF the smith
and which had nothing to do With
the blade proper, there are alone
twenty-five different expressions.
The forging, by means of which
a fabric Of innumerable fine threads
was united into an even tissue alike
in all It's parts, was as fine an art
as might well be conceived And the
welding, which consisted in ham.
merlng together several strips OF
steel TO form a rectangular ingot elk
inches in length and two and a half
inches In thickness, was the occupa-
tion OF months.
One reads OF the life Of the ancient
artisan, working with a religious
devotion TO his art, fashioning the
minute parts OF the whole with a
tender and loving hand, in the same
consecrated spirit with which a poet
might shape his verses or an artist
paint his pictures. One reads OF the
position he held In the social scheme
OF old Japan, respected, admired,
doubtless deemed a social equal OF
those who had secured the highest
rank In literature and the arts
one reads and reviews the life and
position and handicraft OF these
smiths OF old and instlnctlvely one
compares 1t with those Of the fac
tory worker In the industrial system
OF the Japan of the new era.
Without knowing or having seen
this ancient artisan, one falls to won
derlng whether the factory hands
that one sees going and coming from
the great mills OF Osaka and Toxic
can possibly have the Joy in life and
labor, the pride and satisfaction In
their work, that was given TO the
makers OF the swords of the samural,
working In the sanctuary OF his
smithy, beside a forge which was
sacred to him and which could dream
no more than himself OF the steam
that were to take the place
OF human ingenuity, human skill and
human artistry.
The age OF handicraft in Japan has
passed, or Is. according to all auth
GRITTY. swiftly passing; the time OF
making things for the mere Joy and
love OF creation Is rapidly giving way
before tho sordld usurpation OF the
Industrial era, the chief consideration
OF which must be quantity and the |
sole aim OF which is profit. The fac
tory worker commands not his pro-
luce, but Is commanded by iron |
demons breathing steam.
Work and worker. unlike the smith |
md his sword. are completely dis.
severed. The worker has no voice
n the shaping OF what the spindle
le watches or the Jig he turns has
! far greater control over than has
10 himself. Having no voice In his
work he can have no pride In It's pro.
luct, and having no pride In II, be-
ng only a slave TO Il and never tho
Master OF II. he can derive no honor
rom that into which his strength,
tut never his personality nor hts
cart. has gone In the making.
one recalls 10 mind a similar sltua-
En- IN England when the handicrafts