logo
Open today 10 am – 5 pm

Knife

Object Number:29-23-18A
Current Location: Collections Storage
Culture:Japanese
Provenience: Japan
Date Made: 1870's - 1929
Early Date: 1870
Late Date: 1929
Section:Asian
Materials:Ivory
Steel
Technique:Carved
Iconography:Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove
Dragon
Length: 30.8 cm
Credit Line:Bequest of Henry C. Yarrow, 1929
Other Number:88--16-158 - Found in Collection Number

Description

Short sword, tanto with ivory handle. Blade is steel. There is a dragon on the small ring-shaped guard at the base of the handle. This extravagantly carved case and handle indicate that this tanto was probably carried by a merchant rather than a samurai. The carving depicts a version of an old Chinese story, the seven sages of the bamboo grove.

Current & Past Exhibitions:

Images of Victory: Woodblock Prints from the Sino-Japanese War (04 Nov 1995 - 31 Aug 1996) View Objects in Exhibition

You may also be interested in these objects:


Report problems and issues to digitalmedia@pennmuseum.org.