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Sword with Carved Handle

Asian Art

On View: Asian Galleries, Arts of Japan, 2nd floor
Adult Ainu men once carried a short, sheathed knife at all times. Like the tobacco kit, the knife was tucked into a man’s sash, and the quality of its carving and materials reflected the status of the wearer. Longer knives like this one were used for heavier work, such as butchering meat and cutting branches, but were still decorated. The blade and metal straps would have been acquired through trade, as the Ainu people did not engage in metalworking.
CULTURE Ainu
MEDIUM Wood and steel
DATES late 19th-early 20th century
DIMENSIONS knife in sheath: 1 9/16 x 1 1/2 x 19 7/8 in. (4 x 3.8 x 50.5 cm) sheath alone: 2 1/4 x 1 1/4 x 14 in. (5.7 x 3.2 x 35.6 cm) knife alone: 3 x 15/16 x 18 1/2 in. (7.6 x 2.4 x 47 cm)  (show scale)
COLLECTIONS Asian Art
ACCESSION NUMBER 12.497a-b
CREDIT LINE Gift of Herman Stutzer
EXHIBITIONS
MUSEUM LOCATION This item is on view in Asian Galleries, Arts of Japan, 2nd floor
CAPTION Ainu. Sword with Carved Handle, late 19th-early 20th century. Wood and steel, knife in sheath: 1 9/16 x 1 1/2 x 19 7/8 in. (4 x 3.8 x 50.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Herman Stutzer, 12.497a-b. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 12.497_PS9.jpg)
IMAGE overall, 12.497_PS9.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2014
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RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY
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Ainu. <em>Sword with Carved Handle</em>, late 19th-early 20th century. Wood and steel, knife in sheath: 1 9/16 x 1 1/2 x 19 7/8 in. (4 x 3.8 x 50.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Herman Stutzer, 12.497a-b. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 12.497_PS9.jpg)