9780804836807 - Cutting Edge: Japanese Swords In The British Museum von Harris, Victor (1 Ergebnisse)

Hardcover. Zustand: Good. Dust Jacket Included. 1st Edition. English Text; Hardcover (with dust jacket); 23 x 28.5 cm; 1 kg.; 160 pages with colour and black and white illustrations.; Used with signs of wear on the exterior and interior. The dust jacket shows minor edge wear, scuffs and scratches on the front cover, spine and back cover. Interior in very good condition with minor signs of wear.; In no other culture has the sword been developed to such a level of technological excellence and attained such a position of spiritual importance as in Japan. As a cutting weapon, the fully developed curved sword of the samurai is extremely effective. Complex traditional methods of forging, conducted according to the ancient precepts of reverence and cleanliness of the Shinto religion, impart these special qualities, producing countless varying hues and patterns in the crystalline structures of the steel. The Japanese sword has been appreciated as an art object since its perfection some time during the tenth century AD. Fine swords have been more highly prized than lands or riches, those of superior quality being handed down from generation to generation. Well-documented swords, whose blades are signed by their makers, survive from nearly a thousand years ago, making the study of the sword a guide to the flow of Japanese history. This book catalogues over 160 swords and mountings dating back as far as the fourteenth century, arranged chronologically by school or province of maker. Blades are shown complete and many also in detail using specially commissioned digital photography. The introduction, which traces the historical development of the Japanese sword, is illustrated with a selection of prints, paintings and screens, together with detailed drawings explaining the various shapes and types of sword. Also provided is a comprehensive glossary of Japanese terms as well as a list of present-day place names.