Two mounted swords

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Blades are often remounted and the mounts are, as here, of a later date than the blade itself. The mounts of the longer sword a) are in the formal slung, tachi style. The smaller sword b) is mounted as a katana, carried thrust through the belt.

The gold lacquer scabbard is decorated in nashiji, sprinkled gold dust and a dragon amongst clouds in low relief. The striped black lacquer scabbard of sword b) has a dusting of shell. During a fight the suspension cords were used to hold back the sleeve.

Record details

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• Online ID: 000-190-004-206-C
• Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
• Project: National Museums Scotland
  Project description   View all records in project
• Ref: National Museums Scotland  A.1956.634
• Date: 15th century
  17th century
  19th century
  a) 17th century b) 15th century
  
• Material: Scabbard, tachi
  Sword
  Tachi / sword
  
• Dimensions: 30.00" L
  33.50" L
  39.50" L
  
• What: Scabbard, tachi
  Sword
  Tachi / sword
  
• Subject: Weapons / swords and daggers
  Weapons / swords and daggers
  Weapons / swords and daggers
  
• Who:
• Where: Japan
  Japan
  Japan
  
• Event:
• Description: Tachi or sword, with curved pointed tempered single-edged steel blade, a ray-skin hilt bound with silk cords, two gilt memuki, and a tsuba of dark alloy: Japan, 17th century
  Tachi scabbard of wood, decorated with a dragon on nashi-ji lacquer, dark alloy mounts, and flat silk suspension cords: Japan, 19th century
  Sword, with a curved single-edged steel blade, an ornamental guard, and a fish-skin hilt wrapped with black silk cord: Japan, 15th century
  
• References:
• Translations:
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