{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O90805"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O90805/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AN0142/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AN0142/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AN0142","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM9386","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM9389","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM9388","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM9387","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM9369","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM9368","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM9367","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O90805/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O90805","accessionNumber":"M.12:1 to 3-1947","objectType":"Sword and scabbard","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"The blade of this short or companion sword (‘wakizashi’) is signed ‘Bizen Kuni ju Osafune Shichibei-jo Sukesada’ - ‘Shichibeijo Sukesada resident of Osafune in Bizen province’ (modern-day Okayama Prefecture). It is dated ‘Kambun roku nen hachi gatsu kichi jitsu’ - ‘A lucky day in the eighth month, sixth year of the Kambun Period’ (1661-1673), which is equivalent to 1666. There were a great number of smiths using the name Sukesada but this blade clearly displays Shichibeijo Sukesada’s distinctive style of tempering pattern (‘hamon’) on the edge of the blade. Known as ‘kani no tsume’ - ‘crab’s claws’ - this form of hamon has split peaks that look like the open claws of a crab. The scabbard is of black hammered stone-effect lacquer, a type known as ‘ishime’. It is ridged with a large dragon in low relief. The silver scabbard fittings, with inlay of gold and shakudo (an alloy of copper and gold patinated to a rich black colour), continue the dragon theme. All the mountings would seem to be contemporary to the blade and date to the late 17th century.\r\n\r\nThe 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.","physicalDescription":"","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Sukesada","id":"A11689"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"","categories":[{"text":"Arms & Armour","id":"THES48992"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"EAS","id":"THES48596"},"images":["2006AN0142","2006AM9386","2006AM9389","2006AM9388","2006AM9387","2006AM9369","2006AM9368","2006AM9367"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"45","id":"THES49801"},"free":"","case":"1","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"45","id":"THES49801"},"free":"","case":"1","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"45","id":"THES49801"},"free":"","case":"1","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Kogatana","id":""}],[{"text":"Scabbard","id":""}],[{"text":"Sword","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Osafune","id":"x35359"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1666","earliest":"1666-01-01","latest":"1666-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"51.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Bizen Kuni ju Osafune Shichibei-jo Sukesada","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"Japanese","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"Shichibeijo Sukesada resident of Osafune in Bizen Province (modern-day Okayama Prefecture)","transliteration":"","type":"1) Signature","note":"1) Signature; Japanese"},{"content":"Kambun roku nen hachi gatsu kichi jitsu","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"Japanese","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"A lucky day in the eighth month, sixth year of the Kambun Period (1661-1673), equivalent to 1666.","transliteration":"","type":"Date","note":"Date; Japanese"}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Short sword (wakizashi) and scabbard\r\nBlade dated 1666; scabbard and fittings 1750–1800\r\n\r\nThis fine blade and its lavishly decorated scabbard and fittings probably belonged to a wealthy merchant. From the end of the 18th century, merchants were permitted, under certain circumstances, to carry a single short wakizashi sword. These were worn by their owners to reflect their social position and individual style, rather than to be used for any practical purpose.\r\n\r\nBlade signed ‘Osafune Shichibeijō Sukesada, resident of Bizen province, a lucky day in the eighth month, sixth year of Kanbun [1666]’\r\nSteel blade; lacquered wood scabbard; wood hilt bound with rayskin and baleen; silver fittings with gold inlay\r\nA.C.C. Jahn Bequest\r\nMuseum no. M.12-1947\r\n","date":{"text":"04/11/2015","earliest":"2015-11-04","latest":"2015-11-04"}}],"partNumbers":["M.12:3-1947","M.12:2-1947","M.12:1-1947"],"accessionNumberNum":"12","accessionNumberPrefix":"M","accessionYear":1947,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Kogatana","Scabbard","Sword"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-30","recordCreationDate":"2004-02-04","availableToBook":false}}