From the twelfth century to the nineteenth, Japanese warriors relied on bows and arrows, spears and halberds, even matchlock guns. Yet the most characteristic weapon of the time was the sword; the man who bore it was a samurai, whose life was ruled by a stern code. Failure to uphold<br/>Bushido, the way of the warrior, sentenced a samurai to death by his own hand. Ritual death by the sword could preserve honor, a crucial consideration for a member of a clan dependent on income from a wealthy lord. The twelve images reproduced in this calendar capture moments of high drama and serene nobility from the golden age of the samurai.<br/>Size: 12 x 13 in.; opens to 12 x 26 in. Printed on FSC certified paper with soy-based inks.