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Source Description
This blade was shortened from a large tachi, and appears to be a work by Tametsugu or a related smith working in the 14th century. It combines elements of the Soshu and Mino styles.The mounts for this blade include a black lacquer "saya" with polished cherry blossoms on a dull ground, and an elaborate "kojiri" of gold and silver with crayfish and waves. The piece also has a silver "kurigata," a gold and copper "kozuka" handle with a whale, an inscription on the handle and blade, a gold "habaki" and "seppa," a silver "tsuba" and "fuchi," a gold "menuki" with two carp, a "shibuichi" and a gold "kashira." Ray skin and ito-maki decorate the two-handed tsuka.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
39534
label
Short Sword with Black Lacquer Saya
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
39534
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Short Sword with Black Lacquer Saya
description
This blade was shortened from a large tachi, and appears to be a work by Tametsugu or a related smith working in the 14th century. It combines elements of the Soshu and Mino styles.The mounts for this blade include a black lacquer "saya" with polished cherry blossoms on a dull ground, and an elaborate "kojiri" of gold and silver with crayfish and waves. The piece also has a silver "kurigata," a gold and copper "kozuka" handle with a whale, an inscription on the handle and blade, a gold "habaki" and "seppa," a silver "tsuba" and "fuchi," a gold "menuki" with two carp, a "shibuichi" and a gold "kashira." Ray skin and ito-maki decorate the two-handed tsuka.
provenance
Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
date
1871-1873 (Meiji-Nambokucho)
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Arms & Armor
short swords
wakizashi
blades
tsuba
fuchi
kashira
menuki
kozuka
kogai
imageCount
1
pageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
21 15/16 in. (55.8 cm)
Source extras
cul
Japanese
inscriptions
[Signature] Takamoto Hidemune; [Signature] Fujiwara Kinmichi; [Transcription] Takamoto Hidemune/Meiji yonen Kanoto-Hitsuji nagazuki; [Transcription] Meiji roku [ ]tsuki/Takamoto Hidemune; [Translation] Meiji 6 (1873)/Takamoto Hidemune; [Translation] Takamoto Hidemune/Meiji 4 (1871) {8th cycle} September
med
lacquer, steel, silver, gold, copper alloy, ray skinshibuichi
creator_ids
4420
4696
4854
collection_ids
JMA
exhibition_ids
none
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
34fdc7a7dd255b2f