JAPAN
This is done several times, the number depending on the quality of graining that the expert desires to produce. The manifold plate is then heavily punched from one side so that the opposite face protrudes in broken blisters, which are then hammered down until each becomes a centre of wave propagation. In fine work the apex of the blister is ground off before the final hammering. It will be evident that the wood-graining is obtained on one face of the metal only by this process. Hence, when there is question of a sword-guard, two plates have to be separately prepared, and afterwards welded together, back to back. Iron was used exclusively for work of this kind down to the sixteenth century, but various metals began to be thenceforth combined. Perhaps the choicest variety is gold graining in a shakudo field. By repeated hammering and polishing the expert obtains such control of the wood-grain pattern that its sinuosities and eddies seem to have developed symmetry without losing anything of their fantastic grace. Another method of producing mokumeji was to take the plate,—composed of various laminæ as described above,—set it on its edge and hammer it so that it spread in a direction perpendicular to its original face. The new plate was then fixed on a different edge and once more hammered flat. By these devices graining with elongated curves was produced. Sometimes the expert, having welded together the several sheets of metal, fixed the plate on edge at an angle more or less acute, and beat it out by a series of blows which had the effect of peeling the surface and re-distributing it in a kind of wave diaper. Such work demanded much skill and care. The rings and caps of hilts were often decorated in the mokume style. In these
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