This painting is the second of a set of two illustrated handscrolls. The first scroll depicts the biography of the Japanese Buddhist monk Ryōnin. This scroll begins with scenes of Ryōnin’s death and relates episodes illustrating the efficacy of following his teachings. Ryōnin asserted the total interconnectedness of all things and the spiritual benefit of chanting the name of the Buddha Amida for one another.
View the original at Cleveland Museum of Art →A weapons statute that contains the most important art registry in the country. Article 2 defines a sword by measurement: a blade of fifteen centimetres or more for a sword, spear or naginata, five and a half for a dagger. Article 14 then carves out an exception. The prefectural board of education registers old firearms of value as art or antiques, and swords of value as art, on the basis of an appraisal by registration examiners appointed for their scholarly knowledge.
The cool part. A Japanese sword is lawful to own because it has been certified as art. Not because it was disarmed, not because it was licensed as a weapon. The judgement is made by the board of education, and Article 14 then requires the board to notify the prefectural public safety commission of what it has decided. The culture side rules, and the police are informed afterwards. Fail the appraisal and the same object becomes contraband.
Verify at e-Gov 法令検索 →Use it Take the ratio, not the picture. It sets a page better than a grid does.
Description source: museum curator text — not generated