tour 10 of 10
Japanese Swords: Cutting Edge
Mountings
Sword blades have usually been carefully
preserved, but the same was not always the case with their
mountings. These were subject to changing fashions and the same
blade might be re-mounted with a new wooden scabbard, hilt and
fittings many times.
For
tachi (great sword) as
well as katana (long
sword), wakizashi
(companion sword) and
tantō (dagger) blades,
scabbards are made of magnolia wood because it does not release any
fluid that might damage the steel. They are made in two halves and
glued together along the edge and back. Lacquering then creates a
smooth, durable and beautiful surface. Hilts are also wooden and
made in two halves, and are usually wrapped with the skin of the
ray fish, which is strong and allows a good grip. Most swords,
other than the tantō
type, have a tsuba
(hand-guard). Tachi
sword mountings generally have more metal fittings than other types
because they were worn suspended rather than through the belt.
Their mountings vary for different
occasions.
Shown here is
the mounting for a tantō
blade, dating to the Meiji era. The scabbard is lacquered black
with sparse scatterings of gold powder. The maple leaf decoration
was formed by making impressions with real leaves then applying
coloured lacquer. All the fittings are of iron with inlaid
depictions of maple leaves and cherry
blossoms.