Lumír Jisl

from introduction 'Japanese sword furniture': what a sober phrase to cover all the beauty, all the poetry, caught in these tiny little objects. It reveals none of the special charm of this old Japanese craft. The author of this book would like to bring to life for the reader the little human and divine figures, the animals, birds and inanimate things, the whole of this miniature Japanese world. Those who admire Japenese woodcuts, lacquer work, netsuke and ceramics cannot fail to be delighted by Japanese sword furniture. The sword symbolizes the inbred conflict of Japan in the past: cruelty affianced to poetry. The enemy of the samurai, usually a samurai himself, died from a blow by a most deadly weapon forged from the most perfect steel, which was also the most beautiful weapon ever known. Contents Introduction The Cult of the Sword Parts of the Japanese Sword Materials Techniques Status of the Swordsmith Themes Famous Sword Masters and Schools Notes of the Plates Glossary of Terms Bibliography Diagram of the Wakizashi Sword Plates… (mere)