Any ideas on what this is?

[estcrh]

I saw this in a New Orleans antique store that carries high quality weapons etc, its labeled as a samurai police weapon..any thoughts?

 

 

[IanB]

Eric, Could it be a jitte? If it is, the fact that it would seem to be worn like a mini tachi would seem to be a hinderance.

Ian Bottomley

[estcrh]

Ian, I was thinking jutte or some sort of tessen type of weapon myself but is seems to be sort of fancy and then I recalled the so called tea and doctors swords which were wood sword shaped symbols of status and class, could it be one of these? I have never seen a metal one pictured anywere though. Here is a picture of a wood "tea" sword which I have seen being called a "chako" before.

 

 

Maybe it is a sort of jutte or tessen..I have seen them with kurikata before sort of like this one that has no kurikata.

[IanB]

Eric, I too have seen the odd items which might be called chako. Since it seems to have been obligatory to take off one's sword outside the tea-house, why would one need a dummy sword? The couple I have seen were rather crude when you examined the details which made me think they were more likely to have been worn by village headmen or similar who couldn't afford, or who were not permitted, a real sword.

Back to the bronze item. The big ball shape on the kashira is rather strange as is the shape of the saya jiri. I did start thinking along the lines of a temple-dance sword, but it would be too heavy. I am starting to think it may have been for a statue and trying very hard to be some sort of archaic weapon.

Ian

[estcrh]

Thanks Ian, interesting idea..I have also seen the tea swords being called "doctors swords" or "bokuto" Here is an interesting one> http://www.trocadero.com/thekura/items/964574/en1.html There are some others on http://www.trocadero.com/ if you search for doctors sword.