Object number
6312.4.2
Title
Japanese sword - Ito maki tachi
Creator
Description
A Japanese Ito maki tachi sword. The itō-maki no tachi (cord-wrapped slung sword) style, was worn with armour on horseback and on ceremonial occasions. The area of the lacquered scabbard between the two suspension fittings was wrapped in silk braiding which helps prevent damage to the expensive lacquer scabbard which would otherwise rub and abrade against armour. Silk braids are more easily replaced if damaged.
Sugata (configuration): shinogi-zukuri (longitudinal ridgeline) with small kissaki (blade tip), shallow tori-zori (even curvature), broad single hi (groove) on each side of the blade. Hamon (tempering pattern): faint, but gunome midare (abruptly undulating pattern of small repeated irregular semi-circles).
Nakago (tang): o-suriage (heavily shortened) with three mekugi-ana (peg holes), indecipherable inscription on each side of the nakago
Koshirae (mounting): wooden saya with gold lacquer finish and decorated with the triple aoi mon (wild ginger leaf, the crest of the ruling Tokugawa samurai clan), silvered habaki (blade collar), mokko tsuba (quatrefoil hand guard) decorated with aoi mon and karakusa (scrolling Chinese grasses) in shakudō and gilt, ashi (suspension rings), semegane (reinforcing rings) and reinforcing ama-oi (upper band) and sayajiri (chape) decorated with aoi mon and karakusa (scrolling Chinese grasses) in shakudō (copper/gold alloy) and gilded in areas. Wooden tsuka (hilt) missing the kabuto-gane (pommel) and braiding, the silk braids that would cover the area between the two suspension rings are also missing. Purple and white sageo (tying cord) in reasonably good condition. The blade could be as early as 1500, the scabbard and fittings c.1750-1850.
Date
1500 - 1850
Production period
16th Century, 18th century
Material
Dimensions
- Length: Overall 980 mm
- Width: Blade 80 mm
- Length: Blade 720 mm
- Width: mm
- Width: mm
- Length: Scabbard 742 mm
- Width: Scabbard 130 mm