Custom Sword Chinese & Japanese Calligraphy Wall Scroll

We have many options to create artwork with Sword characters on a wall scroll or portrait.
If you want to create a cool Sword wall scroll, this is the place. Below you will find a few Asian symbols that express the idea of sword.


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  1. Sword

  2. Katana

  3. Mark the boat to find the lost sword / Ignoring the changing circumstances of the world

  4. Life-Saving Sword

  5. Kendo / The Way of the Sword

  6. Energy Sword Body in Concert

  7. Sword of Death

  8. Sword Saint

  9. Live By The Sword Die By The Sword

10. Bloodless Victory

11. Kenjutsu / Kenjitsu


 jiàn
 ken / tsurugi
 
Sword Scroll

劍 is pronounced “jian” in Chinese. When you say it, imagine that you are making the sound of a sword as it clashes with a metal shield. This might get you closer to the correct pronunciation in Chinese.

I actually wonder if this word came from the metallic ringing sounds of a sword in battle - but such knowledge is lost in history.

The sword is a symbol of a warrior. The one thing that a soldier in ancient China lived and died by. A warrior with his skills and sword proves himself of great value. A warrior who losses his sword instantly becomes worthless.

劍 is an excellent scroll for someone in the military (especially officers of all services - as well as enlisted NCO Marines since they still carry swords even if mainly for ceremonial purposes). Or perhaps someone who practices variations of kung fu or tai chi that involve weapons.

Please note that while this character is understood with the sword meaning in Japanese, you might be looking for the word “katana” which also means sword in Japanese but means “knife” in Chinese.


There are other ways to write sword, and here are a few...
Common Japanese and rare Chinese traditional form of sword Typical traditional form of sword in Chinese Old/Alternative way to write sword in Chinese Old/Alternative way to write sword in Chinese Old/Alternative way to write sword in Chinese This one kind of means golden sword in Chinese Typical traditional form of sword in Chinese Common Japanese and rare Chinese traditional form of sword Old/Alternative way to write sword in Chinese Old/Alternative way to write sword in Chinese Old/Alternative way to write sword in Chinese This one kind of means golden sword in Chinese Typical traditional form of sword in Chinese Typical traditional form of sword in Chinese Common Japanese and rare Chinese traditional form of sword Old/Alternative way to write sword in Chinese Old/Alternative way to write sword in Chinese Old/Alternative way to write sword in Chinese This one kind of means golden sword in Chinese Typical traditional form of sword in Chinese Common Japanese and rare Chinese traditional form of sword Old/Alternative way to write sword in Chinese Old/Alternative way to write sword in Chinese Old/Alternative way to write sword in Chinese This one kind of means golden sword in Chinese Typical traditional form of sword in Chinese Common Japanese and rare Chinese traditional form of sword Old/Alternative way to write sword in Chinese Old/Alternative way to write sword in Chinese Old/Alternative way to write sword in Chinese This one kind of means golden sword in Chinese
If you are particular about the version you receive, please let me know when you place your order (Note: Special styles are only available from one of our master calligraphers).

 jiàn
 ken
Sword Scroll

剱 is the modern Japanese way to write sword.

This Kanji character comes from original Chinese. This form would also be understood in Chinese (there are often several ways to write the same character) but I suggest this one only if your audience is Japanese (because they've settled on a slightly different form as the standard in China).

In Japanese, this character also means saber/sabre, blade, bayonet, stinger, and clock hand (clock hands are the “swords” of the clock).


See Also:  Katana

Katana

Japanese Samurai Sword

 dāo
 katana
 
Katana Scroll

刀 is the Japanese Kanji for “sword.” This refers to the style of sword carried by warriors, samurai, and shogun of ancient Japan.

With the pacification of Japan, such swords are now only used for ceremony and decoration. The true art of sword-smithing is all but lost in Japan with new sword production dedicated to making inexpensive replicas for the tourist and foreign market.

For those of you that want to ask whether I can get you a real antique sword. Let me tell you that most real Asian swords were melted down after WWII in Japan, and during the Great Leap Forward in China. Any remaining swords are family heirlooms that nobody will part with.

Please carefully note that the Japanese kanji character shown above is only for a Japanese audience. In China, this character means “knife.” See our other entry for “sword” in Chinese.
Note: 刀 can mean knife, sword, or blade in Korean, depending on context.

Mark the boat to find the lost sword / Ignoring the changing circumstances of the world

 kè zhōu qiú jiàn
 kokushuukyuuken
Mark the boat to find the lost sword / Ignoring the changing circumstances of the world Scroll

刻舟求劍 is an originally-Chinese proverb that serves as a warning to people that things are always in a state of change.

Thus, you must consider that and not depend on the old ways or a way that may have worked in the past but is no longer valid.

This idiom/proverb comes from the following story:
A man was traveling in a ferry boat across a river. With him, he carried a treasured sword. Along the way, the man became overwhelmed and intoxicated by the beautiful view and accidentally dropped his prized sword into the river. Thinking quickly, he pulled out a knife and marked on the rail of the boat where exactly he had lost his sword.

When the boat arrived on the other side of the river, the man jumped out of the boat and searched for his sword right under where he'd made the mark. Of course, the boat had moved a great distance since he made the mark, and thus, he could not find the sword.

While this man may seem foolhardy, we must take a great lesson from this parable: Circumstances change, so one should use methods to handle the change. In modern China, this is used in business to mean that one should not depend on old business models for a changing market.


This proverb dates back to the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC) of the territory now known as China. It has spread and is somewhat known in Japan and Korea.

Life-Saving Sword

 katsu jin ken
Life-Saving Sword Scroll

活人剣 is a Japanese title for “life-saving sword” or “katsujinken.”

This title suggests that a sword used for killing can also be used for saving or giving life.


See Also:  Satsujinken

Kendo / The Way of the Sword

 jiàn dào
 kendou
Kendo / The Way of the Sword Scroll

Often associated with Kenjutsu, 剱道/劍道 means “The way of the sword” in Japanese (and Korean with an alternate form of the first character).
This is also the term used for swordsmanship and even fencing in Japanese and Korean, depending on context.

Note: These same characters are also used separately in Chinese, but this exact combination yields a common title in Japanese only (perhaps someone who is really into swords would use this in China).

Note: There is more than one way to write the “sword” character (shown above is the Japanese version - if you want the Korean version, please let me know when you place your order).


See Also:  Katana

Energy Sword Body in Concert

Spirit, Sword & Body as One

 ki ken tai icchi
Energy Sword Body in Concert Scroll

气剑体一致 often gets translated as “Mind Sword Body,” or “Spirit, Sword, and Body as One.” But I think these translations don't tell you enough about what this is really saying.

In this context, 気, which is the modern Japanese version of 氣, means spiritual and unseen energy or “life energy.” In some cases, 気 can be translated as spirit, feeling, or nature. If defined as the mind, it's more about the invisible or intangible parts of one's mind (or soul).

剣 is the Japanese version of 劍 meaning sword.

体 is the modern Japanese version of 體 meaning body.

The Kanji 一 means one, and in this case, suggests “all in one.” The Kanji 到 means to send, deliver, or convey. But together, 一到 suggests all these things in agreement, union cooperation, or in concert.

Note: Arguments exist as to whether this should be romanized as Kikentaiitchi, Kikentaiicchi, or kikentaiichi. Technically, if you drop the last character, you get 気剣体一 and kikentaiichi (ki ken tai ichi), which is also a valid phrase.

Sword of Death

 satsu jin ken
Sword of Death Scroll

殺人剣 is a Japanese title for “Death Sword,” “Life Taking Sword,” or “satsujinken.”

This is the opposite of katsujinken or the “life-saving sword.” This title is not as commonly used in Japanese but pairs well when hung with katsujinken.

The first two Kanji are a word that translates as homicide, murder or kill (a person). 殺人剣 is specifically to kill a person (as the second character means person or human) as opposed to an animal, etc.

The last Kanji is the Japanese variant of the originally-Chinese character for a sword.


See Also:  Katsujinken

 jiàn shèng
 kensei
Sword Saint Scroll

剣聖 can be translated as “Sword Saint,” “God of the Sword,” or “Saint of the Sword.” This is an ancient Japanese title bestowed on a master with the greatest of skills in swordsmanship.

Keep in mind that this is an antiquated term. It will only be understood in the context of martial arts. The pronunciation “kensei” also applies to other words like “constitutional government” and power (these words have different kanji and are completely unrelated).

Notes: This is sometimes Romanized as “kensei,” “ken sei,” and incorrectly as “Kensai.”

Chinese Note: This title is pronounceable in Chinese but seldom, if ever, used in Chinese. Also, the first character is an alternate character form for a sword, currently only used in Japan.

Live By The Sword Die By The Sword

Matthew 26:52

 fán dòng dāo de bì sǐ zài dāo xià
Live By The Sword Die By The Sword Scroll

凡动刀的,必死在刀下 is the second part of Matthew 26:52 from the Chinese Union Bible where Jesus suggests that one who uses a sword will also die by it.

Bloodless Victory

 bīng bù xuè rèn
Bloodless Victory Scroll

Perhaps a pacifist view or perhaps the best kind of victory; 兵不血刃 reflect this idea:
The edges of the swords not being stained with blood.

You could also translate it as: Win victory without firing a shot.

The first character means army or force. The second character means without or none. The last two characters mean bloodstained knives. So it represents a returning victorious army without bloodstained knives. 兵不血刃 is the very literal sense of this Chinese proverb. The title definition is more accurate to the way this proverb is understood.

Asking yourself why the direct or literal translation is different?
...Think of compound words in English such as “nevertheless” if we break it apart to “never the less,” we will have trouble getting the real definition of “in spite of that.” Similar things happen when multiple characters create a compounded word in Chinese.

Kenjutsu / Kenjitsu

 jiàn shù
 kenjutsu
Kenjutsu / Kenjitsu Scroll

In Japanese, the modern definition, using simple terms, 剣術 is “A martial art involving swords” or “The art of the sword.”

However, in Chinese, this is the word for fencing (as in the Olympic sport).

I will suppose that you want this for the Japanese definition, which comes from skills and techniques developed in the 15th century. At that time, Kenjutsu (or swordsmanship) was a strictly military art taught to Samurai and Bushi (soldiers). The fact that swords are rarely used in military battles anymore, and with the pacification of Japan after WWII, Kenjutsu is strictly a ceremonial practice often studied as a form of martial art (more for the discipline aspect rather than practical purpose).

Language note: The Korean definition is close to the Japanese version described above. However, it should be noted that this can mean “fencing” depending on the context in Japanese, Chinese, and Korean.

術 術Character variation notes: There are slight variations possible with the second character. Either way is correct and understood by both Japanese and Chinese folks.

Since there are about 5 common ways to write the sword character, if you are particular about which version you want, please note that in the “special instructions” when you place your order.

Romanization note: This term is often Romanized as Kenjitsu; however, following the rules of Japanese Romaji, it should be Kenjutsu.




This in-stock artwork might be what you are looking for, and ships right away...

Gallery Price: $106.00

Your Price: $58.88


The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...

Title CharactersRomaji (Romanized Japanese)Various forms of Romanized Chinese
Sword
ken / tsurugijiàn / jian4 / jianchien
Sword
kenjiàn / jian4 / jianchien
Katanakatanadāo / dao1 / daotao
Mark the boat to find the lost sword
Ignoring the changing circumstances of the world
刻舟求劍
刻舟求剑
kokushuukyuuken
kokushukyuken
kè zhōu qiú jiàn
ke4 zhou1 qiu2 jian4
ke zhou qiu jian
kezhouqiujian
k`o chou ch`iu chien
kochouchiuchien
ko chou chiu chien
Life-Saving Sword活人剣katsu jin ken
katsujinken
Kendo
The Way of the Sword
剱道 / 劍道
剣道
kendou / kendojiàn dào / jian4 dao4 / jian dao / jiandaochien tao / chientao
Energy Sword Body in Concert気剣体一致 / 氣劍體一致
气剑体一致
ki ken tai icchi
kikentaiicchi
ki ken tai ichi
Sword of Death殺人剣
杀人剣
satsu jin ken
satsujinken
Sword Saint剣聖 / 剣聖
剣圣
kenseijiàn shèng
jian4 sheng4
jian sheng
jiansheng
chien sheng
chiensheng
Live By The Sword Die By The Sword凡動刀的必死在刀下
凡动刀的必死在刀下
fán dòng dāo de bì sǐ zài dāo xià
fan2 dong4 dao1 de bi4 si3 zai4 dao1 xia4
fan dong dao de bi si zai dao xia
fan tung tao te pi ssu tsai tao hsia
Bloodless Victory兵不血刃bīng bù xuè rèn
bing1 bu4 xue4 ren4
bing bu xue ren
bingbuxueren
ping pu hsüeh jen
pingpuhsüehjen
Kenjutsu
Kenjitsu
剣術
剑术
kenjutsujiàn shù / jian4 shu4 / jian shu / jianshuchien shu / chienshu
In some entries above you will see that characters have different versions above and below a line.
In these cases, the characters above the line are Traditional Chinese, while the ones below are Simplified Chinese.


Dictionary

Lookup in my Japanese & Chinese Dictionary

All of our calligraphy wall scrolls are handmade.

When the calligrapher finishes creating your artwork, it is taken to my art mounting workshop in Beijing where a wall scroll is made by hand from a combination of silk, rice paper, and wood.
After we create your wall scroll, it takes at least two weeks for air mail delivery from Beijing to you.

Allow a few weeks for delivery. Rush service speeds it up by a week or two for $10!

When you select your calligraphy, you'll be taken to another page where you can choose various custom options.


A nice Chinese calligraphy wall scroll

The wall scroll that Sandy is holding in this picture is a "large size"
single-character wall scroll.
We also offer custom wall scrolls in small, medium, and an even-larger jumbo size.

A professional Chinese Calligrapher

Professional calligraphers are getting to be hard to find these days.
Instead of drawing characters by hand, the new generation in China merely type roman letters into their computer keyboards and pick the character that they want from a list that pops up.

There is some fear that true Chinese calligraphy may become a lost art in the coming years. Many art institutes in China are now promoting calligraphy programs in hopes of keeping this unique form of art alive.

Trying to learn Chinese calligrapher - a futile effort

Even with the teachings of a top-ranked calligrapher in China, my calligraphy will never be good enough to sell. I will leave that to the experts.

A high-ranked Chinese master calligrapher that I met in Zhongwei

The same calligrapher who gave me those lessons also attracted a crowd of thousands and a TV crew as he created characters over 6-feet high. He happens to be ranked as one of the top 100 calligraphers in all of China. He is also one of very few that would actually attempt such a feat.



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