Doctor's Sword (Chatō)

Inscribed Yoshiteru Japanese

Not on view

Carved in the round from a single piece of wood, this doctor’s sword (chatō) features an energetic assemblage of coiled dragons and animals. So-called doctor’s swords were carried by samurai in tea houses as stand-ins for metal swords, which were not allowed inside. Doctors, too, wore them for show in public. Ornate examples such as this one were greatly prized by collectors in Europe and America.

Doctor's Sword (<i>Chatō</i>), Inscribed Yoshiteru (Japanese, active 19th century), Wood, mother-of-pearl, silk, Japanese

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Doctor's Sword (<i>Chatō</i>), Inscribed Yoshiteru (Japanese, active 19th century), Wood, mother-of-pearl, silk, Japanese
Doctor's Sword (<i>Chatō</i>), Inscribed Yoshiteru (Japanese, active 19th century), Wood, mother-of-pearl, silk, Japanese

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