Tiger & Bamboo - Muromachi Period (~1450)
Status
available
Price
$5,600
Description
Tiger & Bamboo is a rare 15th-century tanto with profound spiritual and artistic significance. The blade dates to around **1450**, forged during the **Muromachi period** by a well-regarded smith. It features **horimono** carvings on both sides—Buddhist inscriptions representing *vitality, longevity, and spirituality*—which is highly unusual and deeply meaningful. The fittings are themed around **tigers and bamboo**. The fuchi-kashira and menuki are copper-based, with delicate detail work. The bamboo imagery is done *on top of polished copper* rather than engraved and inlaid, offering a unique visual style. The **saya** (scabbard) is not original to the tanto. It was inherited from the owner's father and paired with the blade after a falling out and the father's passing—making this sword not only a weapon, but a tribute and symbol of *remembrance and forgiveness*. The **kozuka** (small utility knife) is signed, masterfully engraved, and features **portraits of the Six Immortal Poets** along with verses of classical poetry—another rare feature that adds historical and aesthetic value.
The Story
This tanto tells a touching story: after a bitter argument, a son never reconciled with his father before he died. In tribute, the son inserted his own tanto into his father's favorite wakizashi-sized saya. The mismatched fit serves as a quiet reminder of love, regret, and forgiveness. It is one of the few blades tied directly to an emotional narrative of filial piety in the collection.
