Artwork preview

Blade and Mounting for a Dagger (Tantō)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The image shows a curved, single-edged Japanese dagger called a Tantō, made by an unknown artist. The blade is shiny and silver with a rounded tip, and a slight curve along its length. The blade's surface exhibits a hamon, a tempered edge, and a complex pattern of hamon and tempering near the tip. The base of the blade features a distinctive shape with a small circular hole. The background of the image is plain black.

Artwork Details

Date
blade, 19th century; mounting, 19th century
Medium
Steel, wood, silver, copper-gold alloy (shakudō), copper, gold
Culture
Japanese
Dimensions
416 × 624 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
View original
Palette