Sword Pommel (Kashira)
Unknown Artist
ca. 1615–1868
Medium
Copper-silver alloy (shibuichi), copper-gold alloy (shakudō), gold
Dimensions
H. 1 1/4 in. (3.2 cm); Wt. 0.5 oz. (14.2 g)
Classification
Sword Furniture-Fuchi-Kashira
Culture
Japanese
Department
Arms and Armor
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929
Accession Number
29.100.1350
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite sword pommel, known as a *kashira*, is a finely crafted piece of Japanese sword furniture from the Edo (ca. 1615–1868). As the cap at the end of a katana's hilt, it protected the hand while adding decorative flair to the warrior's weapon. Paired often with a *fuchi* (collar), such fittings transformed functional arms into wearable art, reflecting the samurai's status and aesthetic sensibility during Japan's relatively peaceful era. Crafted from shibuichi—a copper-silver alloy with a subdued, smoky patina—and shakudō, a copper-gold alloy that develops a dark blue-black hue throu...