{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O93137"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O93137/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019MK8047/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019MK8047/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2019MK8047","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2019MK8044","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AM4708","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AN9711","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BD8117","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2012FN1113","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BD8118","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BD8119","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BD8120","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O93137/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O93137","accessionNumber":"M.13:1, 2-1949","objectType":"Sword and scabbard","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"This slung sword (‘tachi’) blade is inscribed with the name of its maker, ‘Tomomitsu’, and with the date ‘Kemmu ni nen’ - equivalent to 1335. The graceful blade, with the long curved point (‘kissaki’) so typical of the Nambokucho period, has been considerably shortened and the current inscriptions have been inlaid in gold. Any original inscriptions would have been lost during the shortening of the blade. The sword was given by the Emperor Meiji to Sir Harry Parkes, who from 1856 to 1883 was Britain’s first accredited minister in Japan, on the occasion of Parkes’ private audience with the emperor in May 1871. Parkes subsequently gave the sword to the South Kensington Museum, later the V&A. \r\n\r\nThe sword is superbly mounted in a gold lacquered scabbard decorated with relief lacquer (‘hira-makie’) blossoms on a sprinkled (‘makie’) background. Even the rayskin on the hilt is lacquered with gold. The metal fittings are of solid gold (including the suspension chains) by Ota Yoshihisa. It is in the ‘Ito-maki’ style, with the expensive lacquer protected by silk where it would otherwise rub against armour. Underneath a plate on the gold sword guard (‘tsuba’) is a lengthy dedicatory inscription dated to the second month of 1871, suggesting that all of the fittings, as well as the mounting, were made especially for the presentation of the sword to Parkes.","physicalDescription":"Ito maki no tachi with mounts by Ota Yoshihisa; blade inlaid with gold signature of Tomomitsu (of Bizen) on the omote in katana-mei and dated in gold inlay 'Kemmu 2'  (1335 in the Nambokucho southern court period) on the ura.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Tomomitsu","id":"A11880"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"lacquer","id":"AAT14916"},{"text":"gold","id":"AAT11021"}],"techniques":[{"text":"lacquering","id":"AAT53796"},{"text":"inlay","id":"AAT53850"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"","categories":[{"text":"Arms & Armour","id":"THES48992"}],"styles":[{"text":"Nambokucho","id":"AAT18559"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"EAS","id":"THES48596"},"images":["2019MK8047","2019MK8044","2006AM4708","2006AN9711","2006BD8117","2012FN1113","2006BD8118","2006BD8119","2006BD8120"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES409912"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"007","id":"THES390036"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Sword","id":""}],[{"text":"Tachi","id":""}],[{"text":"Scabbard","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Bizen","id":"x36583"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1335","earliest":"1335-01-01","latest":"1335-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"97","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"overall","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Tomomitsu","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"Japanese","medium":"","method":"","position":"outer face (omote) of the blade","script":"","translation":"Tomomitsu - smith's name","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Japanese; outer face (omote) of the blade"},{"content":"'Kemmu ni nen'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"Japanese","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"2nd year of the Kemmu reign (equivalent to 1335 of tthe southern court of the Nambokucho period)","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Japanese"},{"content":"","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":" ","type":"","note":""},{"content":" ","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Met, Japan, swords and daggers\n\nMet, 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.13:1-1949","M.13:2-1949"],"accessionNumberNum":"13","accessionNumberPrefix":"M","accessionYear":1949,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Sword","Scabbard"],"assets":["2021MV1415"],"recordModificationDate":"2026-02-17","recordCreationDate":"2004-02-17","availableToBook":true}}