Socket Brace for Knife (Uragawara)

Art Historical Context

This exquisite *Socket Brace for Knife (ragawara)*, a 19th-century Japanese artifact from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Arms and Armor collection, exemplifies the masterful metalwork of Edo-period sword fittings. Measuring just 1 1/4 inches long weighing a mere 0.1 ounce, this tiny uragawara— a socket or ferrule securing the scabbard of a tanto (knife)—highlights how even functional samurai accessories were elevated to art. Gifted to the museum in 1917 by a trustee, it reflects Japan's tradition of blending utility with aesthetic refinement during a time when sword-bearing warriors symboliz...