Japanese Unsigned Wakizashi (Koto Era) Sword-The Wakizashi refers to a blade that measures anywhere from approx. 12 inches (30cm) long to 28 inches (60 cm). It would be worn on the waist just like the Katana. It was carried as a backup next to the Katana. Samurai needed to use Wakizashi when he fought in a small room or within close proximity, where a Katana would be too long to unsheathe. Also, it was law that Samurai had to leave the Katana with the guard when he entered a castle, while the Samurai was allowed to wear his Wakizashi inside as self-protection. Wakizashi gained more presence as the Edo Government had launched the national law during the Edo period (1603-1868 A.D.) to force all Samurai to wear Katana and Wakizashi to identify themselves as the military officers of the regime. When worn together, the pair of swords were called daishō, which translates literally as "big-little". Only samurai could wear the daishō: this was a sign of their station and honor. Ok, let’s talk about this specific example. This sword is very old and is a bit delicate. It has the hand-wrapped black silk over the white, textured sharkskin handle. The menuki are brass chrysanthemums inlaid under the silk wrap. These have good detail but do show some verdigris on them. The wooden pin has been replaced with a shiny brass screw, please be sure to look at the photos. The open tsuba is highly ornate steel, and lost the majority of its finish. The saya, or the wooden scabbard for the blade is a sparkly green lacquered wood. The lacquer has moderate spots missing, and you can see the wood underneath. What remains is overall good, but there are scuffs, some textured spots and some scratches. The saya is decorated with black symbols along both sides. This has solid brass fittings. The blade is loose to the handle, and does have some dark spots, but overall is very sharp and could really be cleaned up should you do so. This blade measures 21 ½ inches (53.34cm) with a total length of 37 ½ inches (95.25cm. A very interesting OLD piece of history.
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