The ancient Asian culture had rich artwork and practices, which continue to amaze people from different walks of life. Currently, the Asian culture traversed continents through globalization and culture change, bringing a wave of change towards how people dress, eat and practice some of their traditions. One of the impressive things about the culture is their martial art skills, where they train individuals the art of sword fighting. The art is present in most movies originating from Japan, with major interpretations in films, TV series, and animations. Moreover, the Shaolin Temples in Japan continue to attract international tourists who believe in martial arts. Most of the swords used by champions had rich metal and deep meaning behind their design, which made them strong, fast and flexible. Katana, also known as Blade for a Sword is one of the infamous blades during the late sixteenth century with rich history of the time.
Each sword represented its owner and the sword smith made it as per the specifications presented. In other instances, the best sword smith was sought after to provide their thoughts towards a blade for the King or blades for an army (Kooser, 2015). Hence, these swords differed from each other, creating a unique art and identity. Katana was a steel blade, forged by Kanewaka, a famous Japanese sword smith on June 1622 (Metmuseum, 2016). Kanewaka hailed from Kaga, currently known as Ishikawa Prefecture, and emperors sought his services for the fine blades. At the time, the Shinto, new sword period, was in effect, spanning for 200 years; it began in the late sixteenth century and ended in the late eighteenth century (Metmuseum, 2016). It was common for the sword smiths to sign their swords, and Kanewaka signed the name, Etchu no kami Fujiwara Takahira, a name he received from the emperor. The names represented his family tree and honor from the emperor; Takahira means Honorary Governor of Echi while Fujiwara means Honorary Member of the Fujiwara Family. The blade featured a mixture of two patterns: masame, straight grain and itame, wood grain.
A closer look at the sword shows the attention to detail of Kanewaka, such as the wood grain patterns created using itame. The blade has a nice contour, with a sharp and straight edge, which produced glares when tilted against the sun’s rays. Steel blades are quite strong and easy to handle, making them swift during battles. Another feature of the blade’s edge is the temper line, which makes it a key stylistic feature. It has an oblique clove shape pattern infused with mixed zigzag lines; this inspiration came from Aoe and Mino schools of the mid-14th century (Kooser, 2015).
In conclusion, the work of a sword smith was not to forge blades but create art. The famous blade, Katana, shows the rich culture and history during its time and its implication to the present. It is the reason why some of these blades are rare and valuable as they represent a particular history. Artists can borrow a leaf from Kanewaka in their profession by focusing more on the value of their pieces, than the monetary aspects they present. If they follow these approaches, their works of art would help them tell a story of their current times, a perspective that could greatly propel the significance and survival of their products in many generations to come.
Reference
Kooser, A. (2015, May 18). 'Sword of Heaven' katana blade forged from meteorite. Retrieved from CNET: http://www.cnet.com/news/sword-of-heaven-katana-forged-from-meteorite/
Metmuseum, S. (2016). Blade for a Sword (Katana). Retrieved from Metmuseum: http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/27600
