Artwork preview

Blade for a Sword (Katana)

Etchū no kami Fujiwara Takahira

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Long, curved, single-edged sword blade with a rounded tip and a straight or slightly convex shape. The blade has a hamon and a complex pattern of tempered and untempered steel visible on its surface. A series of small holes are present along the bottom 2/3rds of the blade's back. The background of the image is solid black. The overall shape of the blade is slender and tapering from hilt to tip.

Artwork Details

Date
dated June 1622
Medium
Steel
Culture
Japanese
Dimensions
262 × 625 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
View original
Palette