File:The mikado's empire (1894) (14761285116).jpg

Identifier: mikadosempire05grif (find matches)
Title: The mikado's empire
Year: 1894 (1890s)
Authors: Griffis, William Elliot, 1843-1928
Subjects:
Publisher: New York, Harper & brothers
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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llows affecting startling colorsor extravagant length. Riven through ornamental ferules at the sideof the scabbards were long, flat cords of woven silk of various tints,which were used to tie up the flowing sleeves, preparatory to fighting.Every part of a sword was richly inlaid, or expensively finished.Daimios often spent extravagant sums on a single blade, and smallfortunes on a collection. A samurai, however poor, would have ablade of sure temper and rich mountings, deeming it honorable to suf-fer for food, that he might have a worthy emblem of his social rankas a samurai. A description of the various styles of blade and scab- 226 THE MIKADOS EMPIRE. bard, lacquer, ornaments, and the rich vocabulary of terms minutelvdetailing each piece entering into the construction of a Japanesesword, the etiquette to be observed, the names, mottoes, and legend^relating to them, would fill a large volume closely printed. A consid-erable portion of native literature is devoted to this one subject.
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Archer ou Castle Kampart. (From a native drawiug.) The bow and arrows were the chief weapons for siege ana long-range operations. A Japanese bow has a peculiar shape, as seen inthe engraving. It was made of well-selected oak (kashi), incased onboth sides with a semi-cylinder of split bamboo toughened by fire.The three pieces composing the bow were then bound firmly into onepiece by thin withes of rattan, making an excellent combination oflightness, strength, and elasticity. The string was of hemp. Arrowswere of various kinds and leno-ths, accordino; to the arms of the arch- THE GROWTH AND CUSTOMS OF FEUDALISM. 227 er. The average length of the war-arrow was three feet. The tur-nip-head, frog - crotch, willow - leaf, armor - piercer, bowel-raker, were a few of the various names for arrows. The turnip-top, so named from its shape, made a singing noise as it flew. The frog-crotch, shaped like a pitchfork, or the hind legs of a leaping-frog, with edged blades, was used to cut down flags o

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