Chinese calligraphy is not only a written language, it is a magnificent and beautiful expression of art through a series of perfect brush movements. Mostly unintelligible to non-Chinese speaking people, it nevertheless retains a sense of artistry that makes it much sought after as an art form. The Chinese actually thought of their calligraphy as the supreme art form and even more lofty than sculpture, painting or lacquerware. Able to express ideals and feelings that other art forms could not, many took up the brush in the hopes of creating the perfect calligraphy masterpiece.

The art of Chinese calligraphy was so important to the people of past dynasties, that scholars had to practice and master it before they could graduate. A good work of calligraphy does not only possess beauty, but an emotional and spiritual feeling as well. As one Chinese historian from long ago put it, “calligraphy is like images devoid of sound, form or music.” Many calligraphy works were painted as hanging wall scrolls. These scrolls were mounted on walls for decoration, inspiration and wisdom. Many of these scrolls had profound yet simple sayings, such as love, good fortune, health and prosperity, etc.

Many of today’s Chinese art works have calligraphy somewhere on them, even if the main image is a painting. It was also important for the artist to have a seal to be recognized. Many of the seals were done in Chinese calligraphy. Today many people still buy and display Chinese art and calligraphy in their homes and businesses, enjoying the wisdom and beauty of this several thousand year old tradition.

The dragon is a revered and mythical creature that played prominence in a wide variety of cultures throughout the world. The mighty dragon has been rearing its ugly head for thousands of years, dating back to ancient civilization. In European biblical myth, the dragon represented Satan, the most evil of all forces. In ancient Greece, the dragon was associated with evil as well. In the near East, in places such as India, Egypt and Mesopotamia, the dragon was viewed as a destructive force of chaos and death. The devastating creature was thought to be the enemy of the gods, and only when it had been slayed could the world come into being.

Elements of all these traditional beliefs passed down through the centuries to the West, where the dragon was viewed as basically an evil and destructive force. That is, until the 20th century when dragons were featured in fantasy novels, children’s books and movies. For Western society today, the dragon represents a wondrous being, one that can help, not only hurt, and thrives in the imagination of young children. In the East, however the dragon is seen as something totally different, as we will soon see.

Unlike almost all other cultures in the world, the Asian dragon, and principally the Chinese dragon, was associated as being a creative and positive force. The dragon was the controller of water – the rain, clouds, river, oceans and lakes – and the air. It could inspire rain, storms and floods. Mostly the dragon was benevolent and good to the people. This belief in the Chinese dragon by the people of the Far Eastern region extends back in time to circa 3500-2,000 BC, during the Hongshan culture. The mighty Chinese dragon is even mentioned in the famous I-Ching, The Book of Changes. This book was written around 1027-221 BC, during the Zhou dynasty.

The Chinese often portrayed their dragons in fantastical proportions. For one, the dragon sometimes looked as if it were two or three beasts in one, with the head of a horse, the body of a serpent and the claws of an eagle. The Chinese dragon was often painted flying through the clouds or water, sometimes spewing fire from its mouth, demonstrating its awesome power. An imperial emblem as well, the dragon was seen as friend and protector of the Emperor. That is where the term “Dragon King” derives from. Often the Emperor would be represented by nine dragons, with nine being a very important number in Chinese culture. Nine is the highest single number and so the Emperor was usually always represented by nine dragons.

Today the Chinese dragon is still a widely popular symbol. It is displayed in works of Asian art, tattoos, movies, books, and a wide variety of outlets. The dragon still dominates the landscape in China, with the dragon being one of the 12 signs of the zodiac. The dragon is also a style of kung fu (dragon style) and is a popular nickname for martial artists, such as the skilled fighter Don the Dragon Wilson. Go anywhere in China, and the symbol of the dragon is prevalent. From parades with paper mache dragons, to dragons carved on the side of buildings and movie posters showing dragon creatures on them. The West has embraced the concept of the Chinese dragon and today most Westerners respect and appreciate the beauty, artistry and symbolism of this long-time mythical creature.

The samurai warriors of past in Japan were a special and rare breed. They would protect their clan and fight to the death, always keeping their honor in tact. The word “samurai” actually means to serve. When not fighting battles, Japanese samurai would spend most of their time honing their fighting skills with and without their swords. The samurai were aware that brute physical strength could be overcome by technique and mental toughness, and so trained to perfect their martial form and their minds. They did this through countless repetitions and meditation. By doing so, the samurai developed “haragei” or mental concentration. They could then direct all of their mental and physical abilities to defeating their opponent in battle.

The repetitious movements the samurai practiced were called “kata”. They did the kata slowly at first to perfect the movement and then later they did it faster for speed and accuracy. Most of the practice time for samurai consisted of kata and a sword-drilling method called “suburi”. This involved the samurai swinging the sword at an imaginary opponent over and over again. The young samurai first practiced swinging a real sword at an imaginary opponent so he could get the feel of it.

After mastering the movements, the budding samurai would spar against a real opponent with a wood sword, which the Japanese call “bokuto”. Eventually the samurai hopeful would spar with real iron or steel swords. Before a strike could be made, the samurai was expected to stop his sword before hitting his target. This was called “tsumeru” and was practiced for years. When ready, perhaps as a late teenager, the young samurai might be called into battle or asked to execute criminals.

Samurai never stop practicing their skills, so the older, more experienced warriors were usually the toughest to defeat. Today, the code of the samurai is something more remembered than something practiced in Japan or around the world. Movies like “The Last Samurai” paint a gruesome and inspirational image of what it meant to be a samurai. If we can even muster half the discipline in our lives that samurai warriors possessed, we will be very successful in anything we do.

The Samurai sword is one of the most popular battle weapons of all time. Swords have been used as weapons by numerous other cultures for nearly three thousand years, but the Samurai sword changed the way fighting with swords is done.

Samurai swords first made their appearance in Japan around 240 A.D. and slowly began to improve with modification. In the fifth century A.D., the Japanese began to produce steel swords. These swords were stronger and more durable than iron. By the sixth century, the Japanese began manufacturing Samurai swords with an original hardening technique that made their sword-making process unique.

As can be seen on the TV show “Deadliest Warrior,” aired on Spike TV, the Japanese sword can rupture or cut right through certain battle armor and shields. Japanese Samurai practiced their technique relentlessly, as one wrong move could spell death. In the eighth century, most Samurai swords began to be created with a curved blade instead of a straight one. This favored fighting on horseback, rather than ground combat, which was more popular at the time.

In 1334, during the pinnacle of the Samurai class, Japanese smiths began forging straight blades again when ground fighting came back into vogue. Longer blades were called for and the development of these swords came to be known as “odachi”. The odachi swords were so long and heavy that they had to be wielded with two hands. They created a devastating impact when they landed on their target, usually causing a fatal blow. But they were heavy and cumbersome and hard to use against shorter, faster swords.

Thus the odachi sword was shortened with the cutting edge facing up. This type of sword became known as the “katana,” and is still one of the most popular of all Japanese Samurai swords to this day. The total length of the blade was about 40 inches. Warfare in Japan changed drastically when the Portuguese exposed the Japanese to firearms in 1542. Swords were modified to be better after that, but the Japanese Samurai could not stand up to bullets. Eventually their class died out, and after World War II, Japanese sword making was banned by America.

In 1953, sword-making was allowed again and a number of Japanese sword smiths continued to carry on the tradition of forging beautiful and strong Japanese Samurai swords. The sword has been popularized in many martial arts movies, such as Kill Bill, The Last Samurai, Crouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon and Bruce Lee’s movies. Today, many people still practice “kendo,” the ancient art of Japanese sword fighting. Kendo proponents respect and honor the Samurai sword and most own at least one authentic sword.

Many people collect swords and some decorate their homes or offices with authentic Samurai swords. If you are looking for a unique decorative look in your home or office, try showcasing an authentic Japanese Samurai sword or two. Oriental-Decor.com carries a magnificent line of authentic Samurai swords at very affordable prices. Check out our selection today.