Japanese Sword (Katana) Buying Guide
Written by admin on March 13, 2010 – 5:13 am -The Decorative Katana As Design Accent A katana is a Japanese sword that is mostly used for swordfights as well as in various ceremonies. It is usually two-feet long and has a curved single edged blade. If you're fond of watching Samurai movies, you'll probably be familiar with this sword. Today, katana swords are also used for decorative purposes. A decorative katana can become an impressive focal point to oriental style design themes in home and office interiors. There are katana swords that you can use for both functional and decorative purposes but there are also those that you can use for only one purpose - either as a decor accent or for martial arts training. Intricate detail The thing about decorative katana is that they are more aesthetically... more
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Japanese Katana Swords
Written by admin on March 7, 2010 – 8:01 pm -The katana emerged in the sixteenth century as a curved, single-edged weapon of the Samurai warrior class in Japan. When paired with a shoto (short sword) such as a wakizashi or the dagger-like tanto, the result is a daisho, a pair of swords worn representing the honor, social power and the very soul of the Samurai warrior. The longer katana was used in open combat primarily for cutting, slashing, and parrying maneuvers, while the shorter blades were used for close-quarters stabbing as well as seppuku, or ritual suicide. Katana swords were traditionally worn the edge facing up, and the art of drawing and attacking an enemy, known as iaido took years to master its many intricacies. Although the traditional intention of the katana is no longer... more
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Asian Antiques & The Economic Crisis
Written by admin on March 7, 2010 – 7:55 pm -By John Cohen With such an awesome economic crisis worldwide, many of us naturally wonder how this is affecting the antique and art market. This is a question that understandably concerns all collectors who might be considering buying or selling. But history has shown that whenever the financial economy has been really bad, whether caused by recession, or inflation, fine quality rare antiques have not only retained value but have remained in very high demand. The Asian antique market, as well as other good quality antiques and works of art, during financial slumps have tended to remain safe and even continued to increase in value. The antique auction rooms have reported, that so far, they continue to be very busy. There has always been and... more
Tags: Asian Antiques, Chinese Antiques, Japanese Antiques
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Japanese Satsuma Ceramics
Written by admin on March 1, 2010 – 1:05 am -Satsuma is the name of a type of earthenware initially made in various kilns in Chosa, Ryumonji, Tateno and Naeshirogawa, in the Japanese prefecture of Kagoshima, on the island of Kyushu. All these places were under the control of the feudal lord of Satsuma. In the late 1590s, Shimazu Yoshihiro — the lord of Satsuma — returned to Japan after fighting a war in Korea. He kidnapped a group of 22 Korean potters and their families, and put them to work in 1601, making ceramics from the white clay found at Naeshirogawa. With strict race laws prohibiting intermarriage, these potters and their families were kept completely separate from the rest of the Japanese population. By the third quarter of the 19th century, there were more than 1,400 of these... more
Tags: Asian Antiques, Japanese Antiques, Japanese Porcelain, satsuma porcelain
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