Arrowhead (<i>Yanone</i>)
Unknown Artist
18th century
Medium
Steel
Dimensions
L. 15 7/8 in. (40.4 cm); L. of head 6 1/4 in. (15.9 cm); W. 1 7/8 in. (4.8 cm); Wt. 4.8 oz. (136.1 g)
Classification
Archery Equipment-Arrowheads
Culture
Japanese
Department
Arms and Armor
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Collection of Giovanni P. Morosini, presented by his daughter Giulia, 1932
Accession Number
32.75.453
Art Historical Context
This exquisite steel arrowhead, known as *yanone*, hails from 18th-century Japan, a time when the Edo period's samurai culture emphasized precision craftsmanship in arms and armor. Measuring 15⅞ inches overall with a 6¼-inch head, 1⅞ inches wide, and weighing just 4.8 ounces, its balanced proportions reflect masterful forging techniques. Japanese smiths tempered high-carbon steel to achieve exceptional sharpness and durability, blending utilitarian function with aesthetic refinement typical of the era's metalwork. In Japanese warfare and archery traditions, *yanone* like this were essential f...