Sword

A1833A

From: Japan

Curatorial Section: Asian

Native Name Katana
Object Number A1833A
Current Location Collections Storage
Culture Japanese
Provenience Japan
Section Asian
Materials Wood | Steel
Inscription Language Japanese Language
Description

A slightly curved sword (tachi or katana) with three grooves along different portions of the length of the blade. The first thin groove begins along the tang, beneath the hilt, and extends 1/4 of the way up the blade. A second thin groove starts at the sword collar and extends halfway up the blade. The third, wider groove starts 1/4 of the way up the blade and extends nearly to the tip. The back of the blade has a single ridge (ihori-mune) creating 2 planes instead of one. The surface of the steel shows grain (hada) in both undulating horizontal lines and curling segments resembling wood grain and knots. The misty, tempered edge (hamon) reveals a soft, wavy pattern and transitions smoothly into the mirror-like body of the blade. The base of the blade meets the hilt with a plain, copper-colored sword collar.

The plain, undecorated hilt has a single hole where a bamboo peg would be inserted to secure the hilt to the blade. The top of the hilt is adorned with a simple, black collar (fuchi). The simplicity of the hilt shows that it is a storage mount (shirasaya) and not the normal hilt fitting.

Beneath the hilt, the tang has three holes bored through the steel, two close together and one below the others. It is inscribed on one side with a signature and on the other with a date, though both inscriptions are illegible.

Length 122 cm
Credit Line Purchased from Horace H. Fritz
Other Number LOT #39 (tag) - Other Number | 88-16-142 - Found in Collection Number

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