Artwork preview

Blades and Mountings for a Pair of Swords (Daishō)

Sukemitsu of Bizen

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Two curved swords with black blades and brown handles. The swords are displayed with their blades facing left. The top sword has a longer blade than the bottom sword. Both swords have a brown handle wrapped in a textured material. Each sword has a guard located between the blade and handle. The background is light blue at the top and white at the bottom.

Artwork details

Date:
sword (katana) blade, dated 1440; short sword (wakizashi) blade, 15th century; mountings, late 18th century
Medium:
Steel, wood, lacquer, copper-silver alloy (shibuichi), gold, copper, rayskin, silk
Culture:
Japanese
Dimensions:
598 × 226 px
Museum record:
View original
Palette