グリ彫金具脇指拵 Blade and Mounting for a Short Sword (Wakizashi)

Bladesmith 尾張関 Owari-Seki Japanese

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 380

This mounting is distinguished by its fittings made of multiple alternating layers of copper-gold alloy (shakudō) and dark red copper (hiirodō), which are carved in a spiral manner to reveal the layers. This technique, referred to as guribori, has its roots in lacquerwork. Swords mounted with a matching set of guribori fittings are rare. Covering the scabbard is a type of ray skin whose nodules resemble plum blossoms (Japanese: kairagi). It has been lacquered black and then polished to reveal parts of its texture. The blade is unsigned, but can be attributed to an Owari-Seki (尾張関) swordsmith from the early Edo period (17th century).

グリ彫金具脇指拵 Blade and Mounting for a Short Sword (<i>Wakizashi</i>), 尾張関 Owari-Seki (Japanese, active 17th century), Steel, wood, lacquer, ray skin (<i>same</i>), baleen, copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), copper (<i>hiirodō</i>), Japanese

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グリ彫金具脇指拵 Blade and Mounting for a Short Sword (<i>Wakizashi</i>), 尾張関 Owari-Seki (Japanese, active 17th century), Steel, wood, lacquer, ray skin (<i>same</i>), baleen, copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), copper (<i>hiirodō</i>), Japanese
グリ彫金具脇指拵 Blade and Mounting for a Short Sword (<i>Wakizashi</i>), 尾張関 Owari-Seki (Japanese, active 17th century), Steel, wood, lacquer, ray skin (<i>same</i>), baleen, copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), copper (<i>hiirodō</i>), Japanese
グリ彫金具脇指拵 Blade and Mounting for a Short Sword (<i>Wakizashi</i>), 尾張関 Owari-Seki (Japanese, active 17th century), Steel, wood, lacquer, ray skin (<i>same</i>), baleen, copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), copper (<i>hiirodō</i>), Japanese
グリ彫金具脇指拵 Blade and Mounting for a Short Sword (<i>Wakizashi</i>), 尾張関 Owari-Seki (Japanese, active 17th century), Steel, wood, lacquer, ray skin (<i>same</i>), baleen, copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), copper (<i>hiirodō</i>), Japanese

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