tanto;
blade;
saya;
tsuka;
fuchi-kashira;
menuki
- Museum number
- 1958,0730.30.a-c
- Description
-
Tanto (dagger blade) 1958,0730.30.a. Made of steel. Signed and inscribed.
Saya (short sword scabbard). Part of mounting for tanto. Lacquered black with designs of water-plants in gold maki-e; silver chape in form of lobster; silver protrusion in form of frog on lotus leaf. Made of wood; also metal.
Tsuka (hilt) 1958,0730.30.c; fuchi-kashira; menuki. Part of mounting for tanto. Hilt: bound with whale's beard; made of wood, skin (ray), metal. Kashira: in form of lobster; made of silver. Fuchi: carp in high-relief shakudo inlay; made of silver. Menuki: carp.
- Production date
-
1865 (eighth month)
-
1868-1912 (Saya)
- Dimensions
-
Length: 25.20 centimetres (without tang)
-
Curvature: 0.10 centimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
-
- Curator's comments
- Harris 2005
This is a 'hira zukuri' blade. The tang has three holes and the file marks are 'kesho' with 'sujigai'. The tang tip is 'ha agari kurijiri'. The grain is 'itame', forming a tight 'masame' towards the cutting edge. The 'hamon' is 'suguha' in small 'nie' with some slight 'hotsure'. The 'boshi' is 'komaru' with a pointed return.
The smith Fujiwara Hisayuki (or Kawai Hisayuki) was a pupil of Hosokawa Masayoshi together with Minamoto Yoshimune (no. 75). He was active over a long period, as evidenced by dated swords as far apart as the Bunsei era (1818-30) and the second year of the Meiji era (1869).
The scabbard is lacquered black with designs of water-plants in gold 'makie'. The 'kashira' and the chape of the scabbard are silver in the form of lobsters. The silver 'fuchi' depicts a carp in high-relief 'shakudo' inlay, and the 'menuki' are also carp. The 'kurikara' [sic. 'kurikata'] is in the form of a frog on a lotus leaf in the same metals. The hilt is bound with 'whale's beard'. This mounting dates from the Meiji era.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1958
- Department
- Asia
- Registration number
- 1958,0730.30.a-c
