Fine Japanese Calligraphy

The Art of Master Japanese Calligrapher Eri Takase

Life Taking Sword

殺人剣 (satsujinken)

The Japanese phrase 殺人剣 means Life Taking Sword and refers to the use of a sword with the purpose of taking a life. In contrast the phrase Life Giving Sword (katsujinken) refers to the use of a sword to protect or save a life. 殺人剣 is composed of the kanji 殺人 (read satsujin) meaning "killer; murderer" and 剣 Sword (ken). Hence another translation may be "Killing Sword".

Note that the Japanese word satsujin is often translated as murder but this is not strictly correct as satsujin only means "kill a person" which includes murder but it also may mean killing someone evil or killing someone in defense of oneself, one's family or one's country - so it does not have the strictly negative meaning that the word "murder" has.

Verify: 殺人剣 in the Japanese-English Dictionary

Life Taking Sword (殺人剣) in Block style Japanese calligraphy by Eri Takase
Life Taking Sword 殺人剣 satsujinken Block Vertical VB3C
Life Taking Sword (殺人剣) in Cursive style Japanese calligraphy by Eri Takase
Life Taking Sword 殺人剣 satsujinken Cursive Vertical VC3B
Life Taking Sword (殺人剣) in Design style Japanese calligraphy by Eri Takase
Life Taking Sword 殺人剣 satsujinken Design Vertical VD3B
Life Taking Sword (殺人剣) in Design style Japanese calligraphy by Eri Takase
Life Taking Sword 殺人剣 satsujinken Design Vertical VD3C
Life Taking Sword (殺人剣) in Semi-Cursive style Japanese calligraphy by Eri Takase
Life Taking Sword 殺人剣 satsujinken Semi-Cursive Vertical VS2C
Life Taking Sword (殺人剣) in Semi-Cursive style Japanese calligraphy by Eri Takase
Life Taking Sword 殺人剣 satsujinken Semi-Cursive Vertical VS3C
Life Taking Sword (殺人剣) in Block style Japanese calligraphy by Eri Takase
Life Taking Sword 殺人剣 satsujinken Block Horizontal HB3A
Life Taking Sword (殺人剣) in Cursive style Japanese calligraphy by Eri Takase
Life Taking Sword 殺人剣 satsujinken Cursive Horizontal HC2A
Life Taking Sword (殺人剣) in Semi-Cursive style Japanese calligraphy by Eri Takase
Life Taking Sword 殺人剣 satsujinken Semi-Cursive Horizontal HS2A

Also available as a hand-brushed Japanese scroll

Master Calligrapher Eri Takase creates each scroll personally, hand-brushed to order on traditional Japanese paper.

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