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Exhibition

Samurai Splendor: Sword Fittings from Edo Japan

Through March 23, 2025

Now on view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 380

Free with Museum admission

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Overview Exhibition Objects

Blade and Mounting for a Short Sword (<i>Wakizashi</i>), Steel, wood, brass, lacquer, copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), ray skin (<i>same</i>), silk, silver, Japanese — Blade and Mounting for a Short Sword (Wakizashi)
Japanese
blade, 16th century; mounting, 19th 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, 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 (Wakizashi)
尾張関 Owari-Seki
blade, 17th century; mounting, 19th century

金魚子地秋草図金具合口拵・付銀刀 Blade and Mounting for a Dagger (<i>Tantō</i>), 宮田信清 Miyata Nobukiyo Japanese, Steel, silver, copper, copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), gold, ray skin (<i>same</i>), baleen, lacquer, Japanese — 金魚子地秋草図金具合口拵・付銀刀 Blade and Mounting for a Dagger (Tantō)
宮田信清 Miyata Nobukiyo
mid–late 19th century

Portraits of Twenty-eight Metal Artists, Kitao Shigemasa Japanese, Woodblock print; ink and color on paper, Japanese — Portraits of Twenty-eight Metal Artists
Kitao Shigemasa
ca. 1615–1868

彫鐫画譜 Album of Designs for Metal Carving (<i>Chōsen Gafu</i>), 嵐山常行画 Ranzan Tsuneyuki Japanese, Ink on paper, pasted into a bound volume, Japanese — 彫鐫画譜 Album of Designs for Metal Carving (Chōsen Gafu)
嵐山常行画 Ranzan Tsuneyuki
mid-19th century

金工絵 Copy book of Toshiyoshi (also called Kōsō, Seijō, or Toshinaga), 紫原壽良画 Murasakibara Toshiyoshi Japanese, Ink on bound paper, Japanese — 金工絵 Copy book of Toshiyoshi (also called Kōsō, Seijō, or Toshinaga)
紫原壽良画 Murasakibara Toshiyoshi
late 19th century

秋草に鹿図鐔 Sword Guard (<i>Tsuba</i>), 紫原壽良画 Murasakibara Toshiyoshi Japanese, Copper, copper-silver alloy (<i>shibuichi</i>), copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), gold, silver, Japanese — 秋草に鹿図鐔 Sword Guard (Tsuba)
紫原壽良画 Murasakibara Toshiyoshi
19th century

唐草図鐔 Sword Guard (<i>Tsuba</i>), 鷲田光中作 Washida Mitsunaka Japanese, Iron, silver, copper, Japanese — 唐草図鐔 Sword Guard (Tsuba)
鷲田光中作 Washida Mitsunaka
19th century

Sword guard (<i>Tsuba</i>) With Flower Basket Motif (花籠透鐔), 萩谷勝平 Hagiya Katsuhira Japanese, Iron, copper-silver alloy (<i>shibuichi</i>), gold, silver, copper, Japanese — Sword guard (Tsuba) With Flower Basket Motif (花籠透鐔)
萩谷勝平 Hagiya Katsuhira
鈴木勝容 Suzuki Katsuhiro
1860

Sword guard (<i>Tsuba</i>) With Flower Basket Motif (花籠透鐔), 石黒政明 Ishiguro Masaaki Japanese, Iron, copper-silver alloy (<i>shibuichi</i>), gold, silver, copper, Japanese — Sword guard (Tsuba) With Flower Basket Motif (花籠透鐔)
石黒政明 Ishiguro Masaaki
first half 19th century

富嶽雲烟図小柄 Knife Handle (<i>Kozuka</i>) with Blade, 嵐山常行画 Ranzan Tsuneyuki Japanese, Steel, copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), gold, Japanese — 富嶽雲烟図小柄 Knife Handle (Kozuka) with Blade
嵐山常行画 Ranzan Tsuneyuki
19th century

藻に白魚図小柄 Knife Handle (<i>Kozuka</i>), 嵐山常行画 Ranzan Tsuneyuki Japanese, Copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), silver, gold, copper, Japanese — 藻に白魚図小柄 Knife Handle (Kozuka)
嵐山常行画 Ranzan Tsuneyuki
19th century

波濤に岩上鷹図大小 Sword Guard (<i>Tsuba</i>), 石黒政常 Ishiguro Masatsune Japanese, Copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), copper-silver alloy (<i>shibuichi</i>), gold, copper, Japanese — 波濤に岩上鷹図大小 Sword Guard (Tsuba)
石黒政常 Ishiguro Masatsune
late 18th–early 19th century

波濤に岩上鷹図大小 Sword Guard (<i>Tsuba</i>), 石黒政常 Ishiguro Masatsune Japanese, Copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), copper-silver alloy (<i>shibuichi</i>), gold, copper, Japanese — 波濤に岩上鷹図大小 Sword Guard (Tsuba)
石黒政常 Ishiguro Masatsune
late 18th–early 19th century

木賊兎図大小揃物 Fittings for a Pair of Swords (<i>Daishō Soroi-Mono</i>), 石黒政美 Ishiguro Masayoshi Japanese, Copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), gold, silver, copper-silver alloy (<i>shibuichi</i>), copper, Japanese — 木賊兎図大小揃物 Fittings for a Pair of Swords (Daishō Soroi-Mono)
石黒政美 Ishiguro Masayoshi
19th century

Blade and Mounting for a Short Sword (<i>Wakizashi</i>), Steel, wood, rayskin (<i>same</i>), thread, silver, copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), gold, Japanese — Blade and Mounting for a Short Sword (Wakizashi)
Japanese
blade and mounting, 19th century; sword guard, 16th century

鮫皮研出鞘大小拵 Blade and Mounting for a Long Sword (<i>Katana</i>), Muramasa Japanese, Steel, wood, lacquer, ray skin (<i>same</i>), thread, copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), gold, Japanese — 鮫皮研出鞘大小拵 Blade and Mounting for a Long Sword (Katana)
Multiple artists/makers
blade, 16th century; mounting, 19th century

鮫皮研出鞘大小拵 Blade and Mounting for a Short Sword (<i>Wakizashi</i>), Nobukuni Japanese, Steel, wood, lacquer, ray skin (samé), thread, copper-gold alloy (shakudō), gold, Japanese — 鮫皮研出鞘大小拵 Blade and Mounting for a Short Sword (Wakizashi)
Multiple artists/makers
blade, late 14th–early 15th century; mounting, 19th century

虫尽金具大小拵 Blade and Mounting for a Sword (<i>Katana</i>), Yokoyama Kōzukedaijō Sukesada Japanese, Steel, wood, lacquer, copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), gold, copper-silver alloy (<i>shibuichi</i>), ray skin (<i>same</i>), silk, Japanese — 虫尽金具大小拵 Blade and Mounting for a Sword (Katana)
Yokoyama Kōzukedaijō Sukesada
乙柳軒政信 Otsuryūken Masanobu
blade, 17th century; mounting, early 19th century

Blade and Mounting for a Short Sword (Wakizashi), Yokoyama Kōzukedaijō Sukesada Japanese, Steel, wood, lacquer, ray skin (samé), thread, copper-gold alloy (shakudō), copper, gold, copper-silver alloy (shibuichi), iron, Japanese — Blade and Mounting for a Short Sword (Wakizashi)
Yokoyama Kōzukedaijō Sukesada
乙柳軒政信 Otsuryūken Masanobu
blade, late 17th century; mounting, 19th century

印籠刻昆虫図螺鈿据文象嵌鞘打刀拵 Blade and Mounting for a Sword (<i>Katana</i>), Steel, wood, lacquer, mother-of-pearl, rayskin (<i>same</i>), thread, copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), copper-silver alloy (<i>shibuichi</i>), gold, iron, Japanese — 印籠刻昆虫図螺鈿据文象嵌鞘打刀拵 Blade and Mounting for a Sword (Katana)
Japanese
blade 17th century; mounting 19th century

芒蒔絵鞘突兵拵 Blade and Mounting for a Sword (<i>Katana</i>), 高本秀宗 Takamoto Hidemune Japanese, Steel, wood, lacquer, leather, gold, iron, Japanese — 芒蒔絵鞘突兵拵 Blade and Mounting for a Sword (Katana)
高本秀宗 Takamoto Hidemune
blade, 16th century; mounting, 19th century

Sword Guard (<i>Tsuba</i>) with Letter by Maker, 黒川兼四郎茂直作 Kurokawa Kenshirō Shigenao Japanese, Copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), copper, Japanese — Sword Guard (Tsuba) with Letter by Maker
黒川兼四郎茂直作 Kurokawa Kenshirō Shigenao
19th century

Sword guard (<i>Tsuba</i>), 黒川兼四郎茂直作 Kurokawa Kenshirō Shigenao Japanese, Copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), copper, Japanese — Sword guard (Tsuba)
黒川兼四郎茂直作 Kurokawa Kenshirō Shigenao
19th century

紅葉蒔絵鞘脇指拵 Mounting for a Short Sword (<i>Wakizashi</i>), 重武 Shigetake Japanese, Steel, wood, lacquer, rayskin (<i>same</i>), thread, copper-gold alloy (<i>shakudō</i>), gold, copper-silver alloy (<i>shibuichi</i>), Japanese — 紅葉蒔絵鞘脇指拵 Mounting for a Short Sword (Wakizashi)
重武 Shigetake
blade, 18th century; mounting, 19th century

Portraits of Twenty-eight Metal Artists, Kitao Shigemasa Japanese, Woodblock print; ink and color on paper, Japan — Portraits of Twenty-eight Metal Artists
Kitao Shigemasa

後藤家歴代揃目貫献上箱 Presentation Box for Sword-Grip Ornaments (<i>Menuki</i>), Wood, lacquer, brass, textile, Japanese — 後藤家歴代揃目貫献上箱 Presentation Box for Sword-Grip Ornaments (Menuki)
Japanese
19th century

Plan Your Visit

Dates

Through March 23, 2025

The Met Fifth Avenue

Free with Museum admission

Plan Your Visit All exhibitions