Title: Blade and Mounting for a Sword (Katana)
Object type: Blade and mounting for a sword (Katana)
Date: blade, dated 1440; mounting, late 18th century
Culture: Japanese
Artist: Blade inscribed by Sukemitsu of Bizen 
Artist bio: Japanese, Bizen, Muromachi period, active ca. 1440
Artist nationality: Japanese
Artist role: Swordsmith
Medium: Steel, wood, lacquer, ray skin (samé), thread, copper-gold alloy (shakudō), copper-silver alloy (shibuichi)
Dimensions: L. 36 1/2 in. (92.7 cm); L. of blade 30 11/16 in. (77.9 cm); L of cutting edge 24 13/16 in. (63.1 cm); D. of curvature 11/16 in. (1.8 cm)
Classification: Swords
Credit line: The Howard Mansfield Collection, Gift of Howard Mansfield, 1936
Geography: Country of Origin  Okayama Prefecture  Japan      
Department: Arms and Armor
Repository: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY