Mounting for a Short Sword (<i>Wakizashi Goshirae</i>)

Shibata Zeshin

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

A European sword is seen as a unified whole consisting of hilt, blade, and scabbard; with the artistic emphasis usually being on the hilt. By contrast, Japanese swords are appreciated for the beauty of their individual components. These consist of the blade, mountings (the hilt and scabbard), and fittings (the small, removable metal elements attached to the hilt and scabbard). Japanese blades are equally renowned for their effectiveness and aesthetic qualities; the mountings are valued as elegant lacquerwork; and the fittings as art metalwork in miniature. This superb set of mountings for a short sword, or wakizashi, was made by Shibata Zeshin, one of the most versatile artists of the Edo period and Meiji era, who was highly regarded both as a lacquer specialist and as a painter. His large output includes many types of lacquer boxes, inrō, bowls, cups, trays, painted silk scrolls, sliding panels and screens, and an innovative type of lacquer painting (urushi-e). Zeshin created only about one dozen sword mountings, of which this is among the best. The grainy wood surface of the scabbard is a masterly trompe l'oeil effect achieved completely in lacquer, as are the simulated silk wrappings of the hilt.

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