wakizashi;
blade;
shirazaya
- Museum number
- 1958,0730.25.a-b
- Description
-
Wakizashi (short sword blade) 1958,0730.25.a. Carving of Fudo's sword on obverse. Made of steel and copper. Signed and inscribed.
Shirazaya (plain wooden storage scabbard/ lacquered scabbard?). 1958,0730.25.b.
- Production date
- 17thC
- Dimensions
-
Length: 39.40 centimetres (without tang)
-
Curvature: 0.60 centimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
-
- Curator's comments
- Harris 2005
This blade is 'hira zukuri', broad, thick and evenly curved. The tang bears slightly angled 'kiri' file marks and a 'kurijiri' tip. On the 'omote' is a carving of a 'vajra'-hilted sword and on the 'ura' an engraving of a flowering plum tree. The grain is prominent 'itame' intermingled with 'komokume', with 'jinie'. The 'hamon' is 'notare' mixed with 'gunome' and rich in 'nie'. The 'boshi' is a deep 'komaru'.
This 'wakizashi' blade is longer than one 'shaku', so it might be described as a 'sunnobi tanto'. It might have been a copy of, or inspired by the work of, the fourteenth-century smith Sadamune of Sagami Province.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1958
- Department
- Asia
- Registration number
- 1958,0730.25.a-b
