{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O90788"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O90788/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019MH0114/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019MH0114/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2019MH0114","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019MH0117","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM9357","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM9380","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM9379","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM9366","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM9365","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017JT7585","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O90788/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O90788","accessionNumber":"M.28-1912","objectType":"Sword","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"This short sword (‘wakizashi’) is signed ‘Kanemoto’, a swordsmith of Seki in Mino province (modern-day Gifu Prefecture). The wakizashi was the shorter of the two swords (know together as ‘daisho’) worn by the samurai at all times. It was suited to fighting at close quarters, especially in towns. From the tempering process the blade has a strong ‘three cedar tree’ (‘sambon-sugi’) tempered edge (‘hamon’). On the outside (‘omote’) of the blade has been carved at a later stage an image (‘horimono’) of the Buddhist deity Bodhisattva Monju standing on a ‘shishi’ (mythical lion-dog). On the inner face (‘ura’) of the blade are carved the ‘bonji’ (debased Sanskrit character) for the Buddhist deity Fudo Myo-o and a stylised Buddhist lotus throne (‘renge’).\r\n\r\nAlthough the Muromachi period (1333-1568) is characterised by the mass production of swords, there were still many smiths of the Gokaden (the name given to the five main schools of sword production: Bizen, Mino, Soshu, Yamashiro, and Yamato) producing fine blades and introducing interesting and distinctive variations in the hamon patterns of the blade. At Seki in Mino, the traditions established by the smith Kaneuji were continued by a number of other smiths, who all signed their names beginning with the character ‘Kane’, taken from the name of the founder of the school.","physicalDescription":"Short sword (wakizashi)","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Kanemoto","id":"A11682"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Forged steel","categories":[{"text":"Arms & Armour","id":"THES48992"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"EAS","id":"THES48596"},"images":["2019MH0114","2019MH0117","2006AM9357","2006AM9380","2006AM9379","2006AM9366","2006AM9365","2017JT7585"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"R","id":"THES296999"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Sword","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Seki","id":"x37859"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1530","earliest":"1525-01-01","latest":"1534-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"37","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"blade","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Kanemoto","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"Japanese","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"1) Signature","note":"1) Signature; Japanese"}],"objectHistory":"Acquisition method and source not identified in the Asia Department registers, accessioned in 1912. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Met, Japan, SWORDS and DAGGERS","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["M.28-1912"],"accessionNumberNum":"28","accessionNumberPrefix":"M","accessionYear":1912,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-04-01","recordCreationDate":"2004-02-04","availableToBook":true}}