Anonymous

Late Edo/Meiji period 19th/20th century

1800-1912

Kaiken

A very unusual kaiken (Dagger), fitted in a boxwood housing. Two dragons’ coil round both the saya (scabbard) and handle. Inlayed mother of pearl and inlaid eyes with an ivory pin to hold the tang. The blade is a double edge blade of fine folded steel with a visible hamon line on both edges.

Traditionally kaiken were carried by men and women of the samurai class, most commonly carried by women in their kimono for self-defence or ritual suicide. Unlike the men of the samurai, class women would cut the main veins on the left side of the neck rather than disembowelling the stomach.

This kaiken is in quite ornate and attractive housing but normally kaiken would be plain in design. This was likely made late in the 19th century for export as an attractive object. The wood carving and inlay has similarities to “doctors’ swords” which were carried by doctors or merchants during the mid-Edo period as they were unable to carry real swords.

Unsigned

3025mm x 57mm