Arrowhead (<i>Yanone</i>)
Unknown Artist
18th century
Medium
Steel
Dimensions
L. 7 3/4 in. (19.7 cm); L. of head 2 1/4 in. (5.7 cm); W. 1 1/8 in. (2.9 cm); Wt. 0.9 oz. (25.5 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
32.75.655
Art Historical Context
This exquisite **Yanone** arrowhead, crafted in 18th-century Japan from finely forged steel, exemplifies the precision engineering of Edo-period archery equipment. Measuring just 7¾ inches long overall, with a 2¼-inch head that's 1⅛ inches wide and weighing a mere 0.9 ounces, its slender, aerodynamic form was designed for deadly accuracy in flight. Displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Arms and Armor Department, it reflects the technical mastery of Japanese blacksmiths, who tempered steel to balance strength, lightness, and penetration. In Japanese culture, archery—known as *kyūdō*—he...