印籠刻昆虫図螺鈿据文象嵌鞘打刀拵 Blade and Mounting for a Sword (Katana)

Japanese

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 380

This mounting features a scabbard with twenty-three striated sections. Eighteen of these are each finished in a different gold lacquer design, including geometric patterns, running water, chrysanthemums, and cherry blossoms, while the remaining five are adorned with various insects and a toad. Mother-of-pearl was used for the wings of certain insects and the eye of the toad. Made in the early Meiji period (1868–1912), the mounting displays the highest level of lacquer workmanship of the time. This style of scabbard originated at the turn of the eighteenth century, when the affluent Genroku period (1688–1704) gave rise to luxurious sword mountings.

印籠刻昆虫図螺鈿据文象嵌鞘打刀拵 Blade and Mounting for a Sword (<i>Katana</i>), Steel, wood, lacquer, mother-of-pearl, rayskin (<i>same</i>), thread, copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), copper-silver alloy (<i>shibuichi</i>), gold, iron, Japanese

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.

Front

印籠刻昆虫図螺鈿据文象嵌鞘打刀拵 Blade and Mounting for a Sword (<i>Katana</i>), Steel, wood, lacquer, mother-of-pearl, rayskin (<i>same</i>), thread, copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), copper-silver alloy (<i>shibuichi</i>), gold, iron, Japanese
印籠刻昆虫図螺鈿据文象嵌鞘打刀拵 Blade and Mounting for a Sword (<i>Katana</i>), Steel, wood, lacquer, mother-of-pearl, rayskin (<i>same</i>), thread, copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), copper-silver alloy (<i>shibuichi</i>), gold, iron, Japanese
印籠刻昆虫図螺鈿据文象嵌鞘打刀拵 Blade and Mounting for a Sword (<i>Katana</i>), Steel, wood, lacquer, mother-of-pearl, rayskin (<i>same</i>), thread, copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), copper-silver alloy (<i>shibuichi</i>), gold, iron, Japanese

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.