Lacquered Wood And Mother-of-pearl Katanakake - Edo Period (1603-1868).

JAPAN - Edo period (1603-1868).
KATANAKAKE in black lacquered wood inlaid with mother-of-pearl, one side centered with the Tokugawa mon, the other with cherry blossoms and petals.
This katanakake allows three swords to be displayed.
The wakizashis shown as examples in the photographs are not sold with the katanake.
Dimensions : 43 x 48 x 18 cm.

Notes: Cherry blossoms, or sakura, occupied a profound place in the samurai imagination in Japan. Their blossoming, as magnificent as it was ephemeral, symbolized the fragility of life and the awareness that any existence could end at any moment. For the samurai, this image reflected the ideal of the bushidō: to live with honor, accept death without fear and remain faithful to one's principles to the end.
When the petals fall at the height of their beauty, they recall the destiny of the warrior ready to sacrifice his life at the right moment. Thus, the cherry blossom was not only an emblem of beauty, but also of courage, loyalty and nobility in the face of the impermanence of the world.