紅葉蒔絵鞘脇指拵 Mounting for a Short Sword (Wakizashi)

blade, 18th century; mounting, 19th century

Not on view

The mounting features a scabbard lacquered to resemble tree bark and decorated with maple leaves and an ornament in the shape of a cicada. With a snail that forms the cord knob (kurigata) and snakes as hilt ornaments (menuki), it is likely that the design refers to a popular East Asian hand game (Japanese: san-sukumi ken, 三すくみ拳) that was introduced to the West as Rock Paper Scissors. The third element would be a frog. In China, the snail is replaced by a centipede, which, interestingly, appears on the sword guard (tsuba) here. The maker of the blade, Shigetake (重武), was active in Edo during the 18th century, but the lineage to which he belonged is unclear.

Artwork Details

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

Exhibition History

Title: 紅葉蒔絵鞘脇指拵 Mounting for a Short Sword (Wakizashi)
Swordsmith: 重武 Shigetake (Japanese, Edo, active 18th century)
Date: blade, 18th century; mounting, 19th century
Culture: Japanese
Medium: Steel, wood, lacquer, rayskin (same), thread, copper-gold alloy (shakudō), gold, copper-silver alloy (shibuichi)
Dimensions: L. 22 13/16 in. (57.9 cm); L. of blade 15 1/16 in. (38.2 cm); L. of cutting edge 11 1/8 in. (28.2 cm); D. of curvature 1/8 in. (0.3 cm)
Classification: Daggers
Credit Line: Edward C. Moore Collection, Bequest of Edward C. Moore, 1891
Object Number: 91.1.885
Curatorial Department: Arms and Armor

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