Before
the Meji restoration in 1868, it was the right and privilege
of the samurai to wear a pair of swords.The pair is called
daisho, which consists of a katana and a wakizashi. The use
of the pair of swords was strictly reserved for the samurai
class during Edo eras.
This
is a beautifully hand-carved 19th century wakizashi short
sword. It has an ivory eagle finial on the sword handle, and
a carved ivory shishi on the opposite end of the shield. The
wakizashi mountings are carved in deep relief on what believed
to be bone, which depicts an intricate carvings of eight scenes,
with a total of 16 samurai engaging in apparently a sea battle.
These figures are very spirited, their well arranged composition
and intricate motifs leave plenty for the eyes. The mountings
of the wakizashi are beautifully polished, both the ivory
and bone shield have an original aged gold cream patina with
a even shine to the piece. We observed no cracks, no losses,
no damages, and is in excellent condition.
