Knife Handle (Kozuka)
Unknown Artist
mid-19th century
Medium
Copper-silver alloy (shibuichi), gold, silver, copper-gold alloy (shakudō), copper
Dimensions
L. 3 13/16 in. (9.7 cm); W. 9/16 in. (1.4 cm); thickness 3/16 in. (0.5 cm); Wt. 1.1 oz. (31.2 g)
Classification
Sword Furniture-Kozuka
Culture
Japanese
Department
Arms and Armor
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Howard Mansfield Collection, Gift of Howard Mansfield, 1936
Accession Number
36.120.261
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Knife Handle (Kozuka)* from mid-19th-century Japan is a masterful example of sword furniture, designed as the hilt for a small utility knife carried alongside a samurai's katana or wakizashi. Crafted during the late Edo period, when Japan balanced traditional warrior culture with emerging modernization, these fittings transformed weapons into wearable art. The handle's surface likely features intricate depictions of ships—evoking maritime prowess and the era's seafaring motifs—highlighting the artisan's skill in capturing dynamic scenes on a compact scale. Forged from a luxuri...