Japanese Wakizashi (K2177)

Japanese Wakizashi. Blade length 15”. This is a Wakizashi made just after the U.S. Occupation of Japan and were made for sale to the U.S. soldiers or other non-Japanese persons. They were sold as Japanese samurai swords but were in fact made as souvenirs. By the time many non-Japanese were in Japan they were wanting Samurai swords but the Japanese had mostly surrendered the real swords, as the Occupation personnel had regarded them as lethal weapons, as they most certainly were. To fill the marked demand the Japanese made swords such as this from bone (probably cow) and from large fish or whale bone and carved them with depictions of Samurai warriors. Most if not all we have seen were brought to the U.S. by returning soldiers and civilians who thought these to be the real swords of the Samurai, very interesting and colorful but post hostilities Wakizashi.