Blade and Mounting for a Short Sword (Wakizashi)

Fusamune of Soshu

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Fusamune is well-known among the many swordsmiths who worked in Sagami Province (Sōshū) during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Typical of the style of the late Sōshū school, this blade has tempering effects (hitatsura) visible throughout the surface of the blade, as well as engraving. The luxurious late eighteenth-century mounting is of top quality.

Arms and Armor

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The principal goals of the Arms and Armor Department are to collect, preserve, research, publish, and exhibit distinguished examples representing the art of the armorer, swordsmith, and gunmaker. Arms and armor have been a vital part of virtually all cultures for thousands of years, pivotal not only in conquest and defense, but also in court pageantry and ceremonial events. Throughout time the best armor and weapons have represented the highest artistic and technical capabilities of the society and period in which they were made, forming a unique aspect of both art history and material culture.

Metropolitan Museum of Art