Image
Description
Maker
Culture
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
Dimensions
-
Length: 85.1 cm (33 1/2 inches) sword
Place
-
Japan
Type
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
[]
Exhibition History
Exhibition History
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.