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Japanese

Sword of the Katana Type with Scabbard, late 1800s–early 1900s

Description

Maker

  • Unknown

Culture

Japanese

Title

Sword of the Katana Type with Scabbard

Year

late 1800s–early 1900s

Medium

Steel blade with lacquer, bronze, and silk mounting

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • cord (fiber product),
  • lacquer,
  • bronze

Dimensions

Length: 85.1 cm (33 1/2 inches) sword

Place

Japan

Type

  • Fashion,
  • Arms and Armor

Credit

Gift of Mrs. George S. Squibb

Object Number

51.269

About

By the 17th century, swords, like armor, had become symbolic objects. This sword—detailed with metal outfittings and adorned with the Sakai family crest of an encircled wood-sorrel blossom—would have been worn for ceremonial occasions and displayed prominently to mark the prestige of its owner.

Mounted in the tachi style, the sword is suspended by prominent appendages on the scabbard, or handle. This example also features a four-lobed guard (tsuba) with a crucifix design that is reminiscent of Christian designs brought in by missionaries during the 16th century.

Japan
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Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Tsuba

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in Copyright. This object is Sword of the Katana Type with Scabbard with the accession number of 51.269. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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