Blade and Mounting for a Short Sword (<i>Wakizashi</i>)

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Curved, single-edged sword with a rounded tip and a long, thin blade. The blade is steel, curved slightly convex with a hamon. The hamon is tempered with a slight temper line; the blade has a slight curve. The handle has rayskin under the metal habaki; the handle wrapping consists of same. Patterned with golden and black same; the pattern covers the handle with thin black lines on the lower end. The kashira are gold. The tsuka has same, nine full; with thin black same over gold. Black and gold same ito; nine full turns. The saya is lacquer; brown-black with a matching kurikata, and kojiri. The kojiri are thin. The kikko metal is on saya. Black-metal tsuba; design of bird and foliage; openwork. The fumbari are metal and black; a design; thin. The saya is covered with same and rayskin; metal. There are rayskin and same on the scabbard. The mountings have metal; gold; gold and black; and brown; with habaki; kashira; and same on saya; and a ray skin handle The item belongs to Blade and Mounting for a Short Sword (<i>Wakizashi</i>).