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

Object Information

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

More Artwork

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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

グリ彫金具脇指拵 Blade and Mounting for a Short Sword (<i>Wakizashi</i>), 尾張関 Owari-Seki Japanese, Steel, wood, lacquer, ray skin (<i>same</i>), baleen, copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), copper (<i>hiirodō</i>), Japanese — グリ彫金具脇指拵 Blade and Mounting for a Short Sword (*Wakizashi*)
Bladesmith 尾張関 Owari-Seki
blade, 17th century; mounting, 19th century

Shō, Bamboo wood, metal, Japanese — Shō
Japanese
19th century

Blade and Mounting for a Double-Edged Dagger (Ken), Steel,wood, lacquer, baleen, copper-gold alloy (shakudō), gold, silver, brass, Japanese — Blade and Mounting for a Double-Edged Dagger (Ken)
Japanese
blade, late 16th–early 17th century; mounting, 19th century

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