Interesting article to share.
Source: http://wsimag.com/art/18008-sword-as-art
“The sword is the soul. Study the soul to know the sword.
Evil mind, evil sword.”
- From the 1966 film, Sword of Doom
In the 1966 Japanese classic film Sword of Doom (Daibousatsu
to Age), Kihachi Okamoto‘s adaptation of Kaizan Nakazato‘s serialized novel,
the merciless samurai Ryunosuke Tsukue was a rage-filled swordsman who used his
blood-drenched sword to slash one character after the other, void of utter
emotion or compromise. The stiff coldness and frenzy torment that accompanied
his unbeatable sword fighting skill had inevitably given the sword a
parallelism to war, evil and revenge. Countless “samurai” movies: Seven
Samurai, Yojimbo, Ran, Rashomon, Kagemusha, Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto, and
more, have by their own distinct styles, portrayed the sword as a vengeful
weapon.
Yet, notwithstanding the manifestation of anger or fiery
often associated with the sword, the deeply etched lines, precise curvature and
refined decoration on the Japanese blade make this weaponry equipped with one
of the highest level of classic craftsmanship in Japanese traditional
aesthetics. Swordsmithing in Japan had existed as early as 1000 B.C. The
forging of the Japanese blade was itself considered sacred art—an intricate
process of heating, folding, and assembling, highlighted by very fine file
markings and design on the blades and sword guard. Decorations on the wrought
fittings of the sword depict mythological figures, heroes, elements of nature
and other Japanese iconic symbols. As the blade was considered the warrior’s
most endearing possession, it is essentially the “soul of the samurai.” Loving
the sword for the samurai was equal to protecting it for its beauty. The
elaborateness, therefore, of the chiseled designs on the sword must exude the
explicit expression that the warrior needed to feel during or outside a duel.
In 1968, the Society for Preservation of Japanese Art Swords
(Nihon Bijutsu Touken Hozon Kyokai) established the Japanese Sword Museum as an
effort to preserve and protect the National Treasure swords by Nobuyoshi
(Ryumon School), Kuniyuki (Rai School), and Kuniyuki (Taima School). There are
approximately 190 Japanese swords, mountings, armors and other sword weaponry
objects, both stored and displayed. An annex also houses an extensive library
of around 1,500 documents and publications related to the history of Japanese
swords.
Yasuko Kubo is the Japanese Sword Museum’s curator.
Previously, she had been curator of the Sano Art Museum in Mishima city,
Shizuoka, and joined the Society for Preservation of Japanese Art Swords,
Japanese Sword Museum in 2009. She offers her insights about the background of
the Japanese Sword Museum and the symbolic significances of the sword in the
Japanese way of life.
What is the essential concept and philosophy behind the
Japanese Sword Museum?
Yasuko Kubo: After World War II, the importance of the
Japanese sword experienced a crisis as the US military general headquarters
ordered the confiscation of such weapons. At that time, the sword was, of
course, regarded as a weapon, but it is also an art. We want to give value to
it as an object of faith and symbol. This ideology was most expressed by two
central figures in the preservation of the Japanese sword: one was Kunzan
Honma, who worked at the research section of the National Treasures, Ministry
of Education and the historical investigation section of temples and shrines at
the Agency for Cultural Affairs between 1928 and 1945. He was also
Administrator of the Agency for Cultural Affairs after WWII, and continued to
conduct research on Japanese swords. The other important figure was Kanzan
Sato, a prolific author and researcher of Japanese swords who has published
numerous books about this subject. Like Honma, he also worked at the National
Treasures, Ministry of Education, and Tokyo National Museum. He was Executive
Director of the Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords and
Vice-Director of the Sword Museum.
Finally, in 1948 the Society for Preservation of Japanese
Art Swords was established. At that time, the society conducted their research
in a room of the Tokyo National Museum, then after twenty years, with the huge
force of volunteers, the Japanese Sword Museum was opened in its current location.
I would say, therefore, that the original concept of the museum is the
preservation and inheritance of the Japanese sword.
The form and design of the Japanese sword have gone through
a tremendous evolution since ancient times. How would you classify the Japanese
sword?
The history of the Japanese sword began from the end of the
Heian period. Nowadays, the swords that belong up to the Muromachi period are
considered as “old swords,” while the swords found after the Edo period are
recognized as “new swords.” The swords traced after 1954 are grouped as ”modern
swords.”
What aspects of the Japanese sword have influenced Japanese
culture, or vice versa?
Since the ancient times, Japanese swords had been produced
by raw materials, such as sand iron, coal and other natural extracts from the
ground. In those days, there existed a custom of dedicating those newly made
swords to the shrines. One example of this is the Atsuta Shrine in Nagoya.
Later, Buddhist temples also paid homage to the sword, which became the
samurai’s most precious possession of deep faith. The sword has always been a
part of Japanese traditional culture. By the turn of the Edo period, the
Japanese sword began to play a role in the political life of Japan.
How would you distinguish the sword as a weapon and as art?
The Japanese have always regarded the Japanese sword as a
medium of functional beauty. It is said to be the iron of art. It stands not
only as an outstanding weapon, but is also beautiful. And, this beauty has
always been pursued by the Japanese.
The museum has a plan to relocate to another location, in
Ryogoku, Tokyo. What changes in the museum should we expect?
In terms of the architectural plan, a cafeteria will be
built on the first floor. The museum will also face a beautiful Japanese
garden. We expect a much wider exhibition room as well. The museum will be just
next to the Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Stadium, so the people can feel a taste of
Japanese culture. The museum will be designed by one of Japan’s most respected
architects, Fumihiko Maki.
As curator of the Japanese Sword Museum, how do you wish to
convey the knowledge, importance and beauty of the Japanese sword to the
people?
My foremost mission as curator of this museum is to preserve
the Japanese sword. This means to maintain the same care for the swords on
display, just as our ancestors did for the swords during ancient times. This,
in turn, preserves the long history of Japan. Visually, the Japanese sword may
not be so directly stimulating, unlike a piece of painting perhaps. But, each
sword is completely different from the other. Once you decipher that
difference, you will discover a sparkling presence in every sword, and
something may change deep in one’s heart and mind.
The Japanese Sword Museum
4-25-10 Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku Tokyo, Japan 151-0053
http://www.touken.or.jp/english/
With gratitude to Hiroaki Nishikiori and the Society for
Preservation of Japanese Art Swords, Japanese Sword Museum.
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