Cord-Wrapped Sword Mounting (Itomaki no Tachi) with Paulownia Crests

This is a sword mounting for a tachi, a long sword made to hang at the left hip. The entire scabbard is wrapped in soft leather and then coated with black lacquer, and the portion of the scabbard below the hilt is wrapped in flat, plaited, purple cord. The fittings are luxurious, golden in color and decorated with paulownia designs. It is believed that the cord was for making the scabbard easier to grip and that the leather wrapping was to make it sturdier. Its flamboyant-yet-practical design is highly distinctive. Swords with scabbards wrapped in cord, such as this one, are known as itomaki- no-tachi, while swords with leather-covered scabbards are called kawazutsumi-no-tachi. Both types of scabbard were popular during the Muromachi period (1392–1573).

Since these scabbards and fittings saw actual use, few examples of them survive. This piece, however, is not only one of those few surviving examples; it is made even more valuable by the fact that it combines the traits of both cord and leather-wrapped sword mountings with luxurious fittings. This sword mounting was a family heirloom of the Uesugi, one of the most powerful samurai clans in central Japan. It combines a functional design with ornate decoration. The scabbard is covered in leather and weatherproofed with multiple coats of black lacquer. The gold ornaments feature intricately carved floral motifs.

— Museum description: Tokyo National Museum (CC BY 4.0), via ColBase / Japan Search.