Blade and Mounting for a Miniature Short Sword (Wakizashi)

blade, late 19th–early 20th century; mounting late 19th–early 20th century

Not on view

A wakizashi is a short sword with a blade between 30 and 60 cm long, usually worn in tandem with a full-length sword (katana). Wakizashi were fashionable in the Muromachi period (1392–1573) and later.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Title: Blade and Mounting for a Miniature Short Sword (Wakizashi)
Date: blade, late 19th–early 20th century; mounting late 19th–early 20th century
Culture: Japanese
Medium: Steel, wood, lacquer, rayskin (samé), baleen, silver-copper alloy (shibuichi)
Dimensions: L. 6 in. (15.2 cm); L. of cutting edge 3 9/16 in. (9.1 cm); W. 3/4 in. (1.9 cm); Wt. 0.8 oz. (22.7 g); Wt. of sheath (b) including small knife (c) 0.3 oz. (8.5 g); small knife (c); L. 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm)
Classification: Swords
Credit Line: The Howard Mansfield Collection, Gift of Howard Mansfield, 1936
Object Number: 36.120.426a–c
Curatorial Department: Arms and Armor

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Blade and Mounting for a Miniature Sword (Katana)

Japanese

blade, late 19th–early 20th century; mounting late 19th–early 20th century

Sword Guard (Tsuba), Iron, copper, Japanese — Sword Guard (Tsuba)
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Sword Guard (Tsuba), Omori Hidenaga Japanese, Copper-gold alloy (shakudō), gold, copper, silver, Japanese — Sword Guard (Tsuba)
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Blades and Mountings for a Pair of Swords (Daishō), Sukemitsu of Bizen Japanese, Steel, wood, lacquer, copper-silver alloy (shibuichi), gold, copper, rayskin, silk, Japanese — Blades and Mountings for a Pair of Swords (Daishō)
Multiple artists/makers
sword (katana) blade, dated 1440; short sword (wakizashi) blade, 15th century; mountings, late 18th century

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