THE sword first appeared in China during the early age of cold weaponry, but its use in close-quarters combat was relatively short. By the early third century it had departed the battlefield and become a main artistic motif. Later still, it was an appurtenance denoting social standing. Star of Stage Swordplay combines martial and acrobatic skills. After becoming obsolete on the battlefield, the ethos of the sword, so-called monarch of all weapons, changed from that of dispatcher of enemies and preserver of its owner’s life to object of aesthetic appreciation. The sword became, and remains, a ma- THE sword first appeared in China during the early age of cold weaponry, but its use in close-quarters combat was quite short. By the early third century it had departed the battlefield and become a main artistic motif. Later still, it was an appurtenance denoting social standing. Star of Stage Swordplay combines martial and acrobatic skills. After becoming obsolete on the battlefield, the ethos of the sword, so-called monarch of all weapons, changed from that of dispatcher of enemies and preserver of its owner’s life to object of aesthetic appreciation. The sword became, and remains, a ma-