,transcriber's ,note3 ,every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible4 ,some apparent errors in the use of diacritical marks have been amended4 ,italic text has been marked with underscores4 ,,japanese ,,swords ,illustration ,,yamanaka ,,co4 #abg1 ,new ,bond ,street1 ,london4 ,april1 #aiac4 ,,japanese ,,swords ,amongst the numberless articles of ,japanese attire1 works of art or mere household objects which the ,restoration of #ahfh compelled the ,japanese to cast upon the market1 none has met with such wide fame and yet with such a limited study as the ,sword4 ,when1 in #ahgg1 the ,government prohibited the ,samurai from wearing any longer the two swords which had been the privilege and distinctive mark of their martial caste1 the ,imperial wish was obeyed1 notwithstanding the feeling that something was snapping in the life of the nation4 ,blades had been treasured for centuries1 handed from father to son1 looked upon as the soul of the owner for the sake of which he would refrain from any deed unbecoming a gentleman2 some possessed histories going far back into the eleventh and twelfth centuries1 when the country was at war within itself1 around others were entwined romances1 and above all1 the sword was the faithful friend with which the ,samurai might honourably end his life1 either in the field or on the mats4 ,a blade given by a father to his daughter on her wedding day was the emblem of that purity of life which the woman was expected to keep1 and it was also the weapon with which she might seek repose in death1 should occasion arise4 ,the ,restoration breaking up the old feudal system compelled the ,samurai to part with their worldly goods to secure the necessities of life1 the rich became poor1 the poor lost all support1 hence anything which might tempt the foreign buyer went swiftly out of the country2 the circumstances had become rather more straitened for the ,samurai class when the edict of #ahgg compelled them to put aside their swords1 and blades followed the lacquer1 the paintings1 the carvings which eager curio buyers snapped at inadequate prices4 ,many swords of first quality crossed the waters1 besides thousands of poor blades which could be bought in dozens in the stores and bazaars of the old world4 ,hardly any attempt was made at keeping in the country any blades except those which were1 so to speak1 entailed heirlooms or those whose owners refused to part with at any price4 ,later1 a few earnest people banded themselves into a ,society for the preservation and study of the ,national weapon3 the ,sword ,society of ,tokyo1 which has published1 during the last twelve years1 a mass of information about swords4 ,collecting swords has become a national propensity1 and the modern sword lover may have more blades1 carefully kept and oft admired1 than his ancestor of a century ago who could only wear two at a time4 ,magazines have sprung into existence dealing only with the sword and its accessories4 ,both in ,europe and in ,america articles on the sword have been published1 most of which1 based upon the paper of ,hutterott and nearly all inadequate4 ,it is to be hoped that some more comprehensive work will soon appear to give the ,western public a better knowledge of the ancient swords4 ,in ,japan1 there are hundreds of books dealing with their makers1 from ancient books now rare and costly to modern works crammed with information and obtainable for a few pence4 ,what then is there about the ,japanese blade which compels admiration8 ,far back in the ,sung ,dynasty a ,chinese ,poet sang its praises1 later the ,medival ,european writers spoke in wonderment of the ,katana1 of its keenness of edge1 of its swift stroke1 of the respect paid to it2 later still1 folks were awed by the form of suicide we call seppuku1 some saw in it only a barbarous disembowelment1 few1 perhaps1 grasped that other important feature--the test of the truest friendship--that confidence in the bosom friend one entrusted with the cutting of one's head4 ,romance alone would not have made the blade an object of interest to the positive mind1 attracted by the efficiency of the weapon1 by its qualities qua sword1 by the marvellous skill evinced in its forging1 in the shaping of its harmonious curves4 ,further1 the blade presented a characteristic temper2 unlike the ,european swords evenly tempered throughout1 it had a mere edge of great hardness backed by enough softer metal to ensure toughness1 and to allow bending in preference to snapping when the sword blow met an unexpected resistance4 ,then it was realised that all those characteristic peculiarities required study1 for they presented variations of appearance intimately associated with the various swordsmiths1 with the periods1 the schools4 ,how numerous those smiths were may be guessed1 but it may come as a surprise to some1 that over #aa1jjj names are recorded in one book alone4 ,to study a blade and appreciate its points is a matter of considerable interest1 the various portions of the blade have their names and their peculiarities2 one must pay attention to every part of the body1 of its edge1 of the handle1 etc41 and with practice an expert may become able to recognise the technique and style of a smith by the peculiarities of the blade1 silent witnesses left in the metal itself4 ,thus1 in ,japan1 the ,honami family of sword experts were professionally engaged for over #cej years in examining and certifying blades4 ,in feudal days a man's life was at his lord's call1 and he might never feel sure that the following day would not be his last1 either in fight or by self infliction under orders of the death penalty for some breach1 however slight1 of the stiff code of ,samurai etiquette4 ,hence his sword was selected and cared for1 its edge must be keen enough to cut a man's head at a blow1 leaving1 if skilfully done1 a shred of skin on the throat for the head to hang on the breast4 ,illustration3 ,,terminology ,,of ,,the ,,sword1 ,,from ,,joly',s ,sword ,book4 ,his sword was tested1 sometimes officially by cutting up corpses1 and thus we come across blades on the tang of which is inscribed a statement that it cut one or two or even three bodies at a blow4 ,no sword in ,europe ever came through such an ordeal2 indeed1 it is doubtful whether its shape and constitution would have allowed a similar test to be successful4 ,looked upon as a cutting weapon1 the ,japanese blade has been pronounced perfect by all experts2 that perfection is the result of thorough work undertaken with only one aim in view3 to turn out a sword which was not only reliable1 but a credit to the maker as well2 and1 indeed1 the names of the smiths are as well known as those of the foremost painters1 they rank with the expert calligraphers1 with the poets1 with the writers and the statesmen1 with those who made history1 ,masamune1 ,muramasa1 are names which have found their way even amongst the novels of the ,west2 not a dozen names of ,japanese sculptors can be mentioned1 although their works are to be found in any and every temple1 but #aa1jjj names of swordsmiths remain4444 ,where the carver could repair a faulty chisel stroke the smith has no such resource1 a slight flaw in welding his metal1 a little dirt remaining between two layers of steel1 and where in a smithy can one exclude dirt8 ,overhaste in heating the metal resulting in a wrong temper1 or in spots on the blade1 and1 lo1 a fortnight's patient work was wasted1 a patron offended1 a reputation marred4 ,no less important than the smith's skill was that of the polisher grinding away the blade to its final shape1 settling the planes and the curves1 whose intersections are geometrically true on every side of the blade4 ,a volume rather than a preface is required to do the scantiest justice to the ,japanese blade1 but space is limited1 and the blades exhibited here speak for themselves4 ,h4 ,l4 ,j4 ,illustration ,,catalogue4 #a4 ,,katana4 #b shaku1 #b sun1 #f bu4 #hij1 #fhe1 #ag mm4,a ,ko ,gunom midare yakiba1 deep ,kaeri bshi1 signed ,sasaki ,niudo ,ippo of ,gsh4 ,kwanyei period 7#afbd-afdc74 #b4 ,,katana4 #hee1 #fej1 #aa mm4 ,narrow yakiba1 engraved on one side with ,ono no ,tofu1 the frog and willow1 on the other with characters1 ,yanagi am ,kan ,ki4 ,plate4 #c4 ,,katana4 #b shaku1 #a sun4 #gie1 #fde1 #ac mm4 ,very fine wave yakiba with deep niy1 signed ,kagekuni of ,settsu4 7,manji period47 #d4 ,,katana4 #b shaku1 #b sun1 #h bu4 #hhj1 #fie1 #aa mm4 ,midare yakiba ,bshi majiri1 signed ,kaneuji1 in gold inlay1 attributed to ,kaneuji of ,mino4 #e4 ,,katana4 ,large heavy blade4 #b shaku1 #d sun1 #d bu4 #icb1 #gaj1 #f4 ,with long bshi kaeri1 midare yakiba1 wave form with tsuyu1 signed ,korekazu1 attributed to ,fujiwara ,korekazu of ,yedo1 ,bushu4 ,circa ,kwanbun 7#affa-afgb74 #f4 ,,katana4 #hbe1 #fde1 #ag4 ,with ,ogunom yakiba1 signed ,tsuta ,omi no ,kami ,sukenao1 dated ,tenwa #c1 second month 7#afhc74 #g4 ,,katana4 #b shaku1 #c sun1 #e bu4 #iag1 #gah1 #ah4 ,large ,choji yakiba1 bshi kaeri1 signed ,awataguchi ,ikkanshi ,tadatsuna4 ,circa ,kwanbun 7#affa-afgb74 ,plate4 #h4 ,,katana4 #b shaku1 #b sun1 #e bu4 #hib1 #fhe1 #aj4 ,with nokogiri yakiba1 double yasurime1 signed ,mutsu no ,kami ,daido1 7,omichi of ,mino74 ,plate4 #i4 ,,katana4 #b shaku1 #b sun1 #h bu4 #hhj1 #fie1 #ag mm4 ,with long wave yakiba and deep groove1 signed ,harumitsu of ,osafun1 ,bizen4 ,plate4 #aj4 ,,katana4 #b shaku1 #b sun1 #d bu4 #hhe1 #fhj1 #ai mm4 ,narrow yakiba1 maru bshi1 signed ,kunimura1 attributed to ,kunimura of ,kikuji ,higo4 #aa4 ,,katana4 #b shaku1 #c sun4 #hfj1 #gj1 #ba4 ,hitatsura on all jigan but not on shinogi1 signed ,akihiro of ,sshu1 dated second year of ,teiji4 ,plate4 #ab4 ,,katana4 #b shaku1 #a sun1 #e bu4 #hdj1 #fej1 #cc4 ,ogunom midare yakiba with ,rio no me tsuyu imitating splashing waves1 signed ,made at ,toto 7,yedo7 by ,kato 7chounsai7 ,tsunatoshi1 dated ,bunsei #aj1 first month4 ,plate4 #ac4 ,,katana4 #b shaku1 #e sun1 #c bu4 #a1jaj mm41 #gee mm41 #h mm4 sori1 #ge mm4 bshi1 shinogi tapering from #aj to #h mm4 ,very fine double yakiba1 ko gunom midare and hitatsura1 signed ,muramasa4 ,plate4 #ad4 ,,katana4 #b shaku1 #c sun1 #d bu4 #ibj1 #gaj1 #bc4 ,ko midare yakiba1 signed ,bushu no jiu ,yamamoto ,geki ,toshinaga1 ,kyoho1 #agaf-agce4 ,jiugo mai ,kabuto buse1 i4e41 made of metal folded fifteen times4 #ae4 ,,shobu ,,blade4 #ebj1 #djj1 #h4 ,uno kubi style1 ,kammuri otoshi1 with ,ken engraved and treble groove on other side up to the middle1 unsigned1 attributed to ,hiromitsu4 #af4 ,,katana4 ,bizen blade4 #b shaku1 #d sun1 #e bu4 #iej1 #gdj1 #bb4 ,broad gunom midare yakiba1 attributed to ,yoshimitsu4 #ag4 ,,katana4 ,very curved blade1 the lengths being #iej mm41 #geh mm4 and sori #bf4 ,ko midare yakiba1 narrow shinogi1 signed ,fuyuhiro of ,sshu 7,sagami74 #ah4 ,,katana4 ,broad blade4 #b shaku1 #b sun1 #b bu long4 #idj1 #gde1 #ah mm4 sori4 ,with irregular yakiba in breaking waves style1 the shinogi reduced on one side by two grooves 7,hi71 stopping a third of the way up1 the portion nearer the heel being grooved singly and deeper1 with tama reserve1 single groove on other side1 tapering nakago1 signed ,nagason ,okisato ,niudo ,kotetsu ,saku4 ,plate4 #ai4 ,,katana4 ,the blade #b shaku1 #f sun1 #g bu4 #a1jjd mm41 #haj1 sori #aj mm4 ,choji midare yakiba1 signed ,kiushu1 ,higo ,dotanuki ,nobuyoshi 7,shin-ka74 ,eiroku period4 ,plate4 #bj4 ,,katana4 #b shaku1 #e sun4 #iij1 #geb1 #bj4 ,broad blade with tapering nakago1 midare yakiba1 signed ,kawachi no ,kami1 ,minamoto ,motoyuki 7,hon-ko71 dated ,genroku #i1 the eighth month4 ,saijo nichi ,goku ,shin ,kitai1 i4e41 the very truest forging on the most auspicious day4 ,plate4 #ba4 ,,bizen ,,katana4 #b shaku1 #c sun1 #e bu4 #idj1 #gaj1 sori #bg mm4 ,unsigned1 grooved on both sides1 attributed on its character to ,kumotsugu 7,unji7 of ,bizen1 period an 7#acfh-acgd74 ,the double blood grooves on shinogi1 the lower one ground down4 ,plate4 #bb4 ,,katana4 #iae1 #gaj1 #h4 ,broad blade with long boshi1 wide shinogi on one side with engraved ,ken1 the other side with deep groove engraved with a ,bonji in reserve4 ,unsigned4 ,wide midare yakiba4 ,plate4 #bc4 ,,katana4 #b shaku1 #c sun1 #c bu4 #iae1 #gje1 #ag4 ,hitatsura blade1 signed ,nobusada1 of ,kyoto4 ,eikyo period 7#adbi-addj74 ,plate4 #bd4 ,,katana4 #fij1 #efj1 #ah4 ,with midare yakiba1 engraved ,amakurikara and ,bonji characters1 much rubbed down1 unsigned4 #be4 ,,katana4 #hgh1 #fge1 #f4 ,narrow yakiba with deep niy and nii1 ken and ,amakurikara ken horimono1 signed ,kotsuke no ,suke1 ,minamoto ,yoshimasa4 ,plate4 #bf4 ,,katana4 #idj1 #gcj1 #ag4 ,narrow yakiba1 heavy blade1 signed ,yokoyama ,sukemun of ,osafun1 ,bizen1 dated the third year of ,bunkiu1 the eighth month1 #ahfc4 #bg4 ,,katana4 #ibj1 #fie1 #h4 ,very heavy blade with broad straight yakiba1 signed ,yamato no ,kuni ,heijo 7,hira-shiro7 ,fujiwara no ,michiharu 7,dsei71 inscribed ,naniwa sattei 7,satsuma7 ,temmangu shi tomo ni ,kore tsukuru ken no do tetsu wo motte1 ,keio #b 7#ahff71 eighth month--made of the same iron as the sword which ,i made for ,temmangu ,satsuma ,yashiki in ,osaka4 #bh4 ,,narrow ,,katana4 #hje1 #fce1 #ae4 ,with straight yakiba1 the ,hi ground down1 signed ,riokai ,muneyoshi1 dated ,taiyei #c 7#aebc71 eighth month4 #bi4 ,,katana4 #hdj1 #ffe1 #ag4 ,fine narrow blade with sanbon sugi yakiba1 unsigned4 ,plate4 #cj4 ,,katana4 #haj1 #faj1 #ah4 ,gunom midare yakiba1 signed ,sukemun1 engraved with ,taishakuten as a ,chinese warrior1 sword in hand1 standing on a dragon1 and on the other side the characters ,taishakuten1 fittings of shakudo1 and silver1 with dragon and waves design4 ,red and black lacquer scabbard with dragon in silver and gold lacquer in relief4 ,plate4 #ca4 ,,wakizashi4 ,shobu blade4 #die1 #cgj1 #i4 ,curious yakiba1 ishikaki style1 signed ,kuniyuki4 ,plate4 #cb4 ,,wakizashi4 ,broad blade4 #fje1 #dee1 #ab mm4 sori4 ,large midare yakiba1 ,bshi ,kaeri1 signed ,nagasada 7,ei-tei7 and dated ,keio1 first year1 fourth month4 #cc4 ,,wakizashi4 ,bizen blade4 #a shaku1 #f sun1 #e bu4 #fcg1 #die1 #aj4 ,grooved on both sides1 midare yakiba1 ,kaku mun1 tanzaku1 signature1 ,bizen ,osafun ,norimitsu1 dated ,kiotoku1 fifth year1 second month 7#adef71 interesting blade4 #cd4 ,,wakizashi4 #a shaku1 #f sun1 #h bu4 #fde1 #eaj1 #ag4 ,with midare yakiba1 signed ,kuninaga1 attributed to ,senjiuin in ,sho period1 #abhh-abib4 #ce4 ,,wakizashi4 #ehj1 #dce1 #ab4 ,with remarkable kiku-sui yakiba1 signed ,setsuyo ,okamoto ,yasutomo1 dated ,bunkwa third year1 eighth month4 ,shakudo fittings1 nanako1 red sparrows1 and man walking on a path4 ,plate4 #cf4 ,,wakizashi4 #eij1 #dfj1 #ae4 ,brass tsuba with stags1 the fuchi and ,kashira cranes in low relief4 ,mensoku sosei ,niudo ,taro ,sadataka4 ,kozuka ,jurojin1 signed ,joi4 #cg4 ,,wakizashi4 ,bizen blade4 #eej1 #dce1 #ag4 ,with plain polished shakudo tsuba1 all other mounts shibuichi inlaid with cranes1 and water plants minute iroy in relief1 unsigned4 #ch4 ,,wakizashi4 #fej1 #dfe1 #aj4 ,hitatsura blade1 signed ,fujiwara no ,kanemichi 7,kindo7 ,iga no ,kami1 ,nihon ,kaji ,sasho2 on the other side1 sixteen-petal chrysanthemum and the characters1 ,jorai 7,kaminari yok1 protection against thunder74 ,plate4 #ci4 ,,wakizashi4 #eaj1 #cie1 #aj4 ,shobu1 kammuri otoshi1 signed ,kanemoto4 ,shakudo tsuba nanako with animals of the zodiac1 dragon1 menuki-fuchi and kashira1 tiger and waves1 shibuichi1 signed ,toshikag4 #dj4 ,,wakizashi4 ,heavy blade4 #eaj1 #cgj4 ,signed ,kanefusa4 ,mounted in shakudo nanako with ,hotta mokko crests in relief4 #da4 ,,tanto4 #cfj1 #bfj mm4 ,straight hiratsukuri with horimono of ,dragon and ,ken1 ,amakurikara ,rio1 sugu-ha1 signed ,kagehira4 #db4 ,,tanto4 #cge1 #bge4 ,unsigned1 with silver mounts engraved with a creeper1 signed ,riushosai ,takahisa4 ,black scabbard with ,karakusa in gold togidashi4 #dc4 ,,tanto4 #bej1 #aij4 ,signed ,mitsuhiro4 ,mounted entirely in metal1 embossed with dragons and tigers1 partly gilt4 #dd4 ,,tanto4 ,kammuri otoshi4 ,suguha #cej1 #bee4 ,signed ,fujiwara no ,ason ,shizukuni 7,chinkoku7 ,heianjo ni oite1 dated ,miji1 #c4 ,made to the order of ,taira no ,ason ,takechika4 ,copper ,kozuka with bamboo in sumiy1 signed ,dairiusai ,mitsuhiro4 ,ribbed red scabbard4 #de4 ,,tanto4 #cbj1 #bdj4 ,suguha1 signed ,kanesada1 shibuichi mounts with cherry blossom on waves1 signed ,togintei ,yoshiteru4 ,kozuka shibuichi with cherry blossom and maple leaves iroy in relief1 signed ,goto ,mitsumasa4 #df4 ,,tanto4 #cgj1 #bge4 ,signed ,kanenori4 ,silver fittings1 tiger and waves4 ,katakiri1 signed ,soyu1 black scabbard with waves in relief4 ,ex ,gilbertson1 coll4 #dg4 ,,tanto4 #ddj1 #cbe4 ,mounted with shibuichi tsuba in the shape of two butterflies1 small fittings1 shakudo kebori and hirazogan1 flowers of the four seasons1 signed ,sugioka ,ikkio1 ,kozuka and ,kogai to match1 iroy in relief4 ,red scabbard with fukiyos gold4 ,ex ,gilbertson1 coll4 #dh4 ,,tanto4 #cgj1 #bge4 ,fittings in ,hosono school1 signed ,hakusai ,toshihisa4 ,the ,kozuka1 signed ,hosono ,sozaemon ,masamori4 ,ex ,gilbertson1 coll4 #di4 ,,tanto4 #chj1 #bhj4 ,mounted in the style of the ,tanaka school1 all the fittings ivory with clouds in relief and gold nunom1 lacquer scabbard in ,wakasa technique4 ,ex ,gilbertson1 coll4 #ej4 ,,tanto4 ,mounted in carved scabbard1 inlaid with a mother-of-pearl snake4 ,the tsuba shibuichi1 with cranes in relief1 signed ,shokatei ,tomotsun4 ,kashira with ,kiri crest in gold on shakudo nanako4 ,ex ,gilbertson1 coll4 #ea4 ,,tanto4 #cgj1 #bgj4 ,narrow yakiba1 signed ,kanemune1 the fittings nigurome with big nanako and plum blossoms in relief silver--,kozuka bamboo in shibuichi4 #eb4 ,,aiguchi4 #cdj1 #bdj4 ,midareba4 ,shakudo mounts1 with engraved floral mon1 signed ,kanahara ,naomichi1 ,kozuka shakudo nanako1 flowers of ,autumn1 iroy in relief1 black lacquer scabbard with suzuki grass and dew-drops of silver4 #ec4 ,,aiguchi4 #bde4 ,with narrow yakiba1 fitted on silver mounts decorated with chidori and waves1 ,katakiri4 ,scabbard lacquered black with chidori decoration4 #ed4 ,,bokuto 7wooden sword7 decorated with a rabbit and waves1 signed ,zeshin4 ,,footnotes3 ,a ,the dimensions in millimetres represent the whole length1 the length from ,bshi to ,habaki moto1 and the ,sori respectively4 ,illustration ,illustration3 ,,yamanaka ,co4 ,plate ,i4 ,illustration3 ,,yamanaka ,co4 ,plate ,,ii4 ,illustration3 ,,yamanaka ,co4 ,plate ,,iii4 ,illustration3 ,,yamanaka ,co4 ,plate ,,iv4