虫尽金具大小拵 Blade and Mounting for a Sword (Katana)

Blade inscribed by Yokoyama Kōzukedaijō Sukesada Japanese
 Fittings inscribed by 乙柳軒政信 Otsuryūken Masanobu Japanese

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 380

This is the long sword (katana) of a pair of swords (daishō) which is mounted with a matching set of fittings depicting insects and plants that are traditionally associated with fall in Japan. The fittings were made by Otsuryūken Masanobu (乙柳軒政信, born 1773), who was the fourth generation of the Hamano (浜野) School. Some are inscribed with statements such as “made at the age of sixty-two” or “made at the age of sixty-three,” an inidication of the lengthy time it took him to produce the full set. The lower parts of the scabbard are lacquered in broad brush strokes, a technique referred to as seikaiha-nuri (literally “blue waves lacquer”).

虫尽金具大小拵 Blade and Mounting for a Sword (<i>Katana</i>), Blade inscribed by Yokoyama Kōzukedaijō Sukesada (Japanese, 1627–1716), Steel, wood, lacquer, copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), gold, copper-silver alloy (<i>shibuichi</i>), ray skin (<i>same</i>), silk, Japanese

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虫尽金具大小拵 Blade and Mounting for a Sword (<i>Katana</i>), Blade inscribed by Yokoyama Kōzukedaijō Sukesada (Japanese, 1627–1716), Steel, wood, lacquer, copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), gold, copper-silver alloy (<i>shibuichi</i>), ray skin (<i>same</i>), silk, Japanese
虫尽金具大小拵 Blade and Mounting for a Sword (<i>Katana</i>), Blade inscribed by Yokoyama Kōzukedaijō Sukesada (Japanese, 1627–1716), Steel, wood, lacquer, copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), gold, copper-silver alloy (<i>shibuichi</i>), ray skin (<i>same</i>), silk, Japanese
虫尽金具大小拵 Blade and Mounting for a Sword (<i>Katana</i>), Blade inscribed by Yokoyama Kōzukedaijō Sukesada (Japanese, 1627–1716), Steel, wood, lacquer, copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), gold, copper-silver alloy (<i>shibuichi</i>), ray skin (<i>same</i>), silk, Japanese

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