{
  "schemaVersion": 1,
  "canonicalUrl": "https://zufu.whiskey.works/objects/wakizashi-study-03/",
  "recordUrl": "https://zufu.whiskey.works/objects/wakizashi-study-03/record.json",
  "accession": "NA 2026.006",
  "title": "Wakizashi Study III",
  "japaneseTitle": "脇差 · 白鞘",
  "classification": {
    "category": "nihonto",
    "form": "wakizashi",
    "presentation": [
      "shirasaya"
    ]
  },
  "period": "Period unrecorded",
  "summary": "An unpapered 44.5 cm wakizashi in shirasaya with a difficult inscription recorded provisionally as 信国作; no maker attribution is asserted pending shinsa.",
  "attribution": {
    "label": "Nobukuni saku · provisional transcription",
    "japanese": "信国作（暫定読）",
    "qualifier": "Provisional transcription of the visible inscription; the blade remains unattributed pending shinsa"
  },
  "highlights": [
    {
      "label": "Nagasa",
      "value": "44.5 cm"
    },
    {
      "label": "Sori",
      "value": "1.2 cm"
    },
    {
      "label": "Mei",
      "value": "信国作 · provisional reading"
    }
  ],
  "revisedOn": "2026-07-23",
  "revisions": [
    {
      "date": "2026-07-22",
      "note": "Public catalogue record established."
    },
    {
      "date": "2026-07-23",
      "note": "Reframed 信国作 as a provisional transcription and left the blade unattributed pending shinsa."
    }
  ],
  "hero": {
    "image": "https://zufu.whiskey.works/media/na-2026-006/01.jpg",
    "alt": "Wakizashi Study III wakizashi drawn from its plain wooden shirasaya on purple cloth"
  },
  "sections": [
    {
      "title": "Object record",
      "facts": [
        {
          "label": "Item",
          "value": "Wakizashi (脇指) in plain wooden shirasaya (白鞘)"
        },
        {
          "label": "Mei",
          "value": "Nobukuni saku · provisional transcription\n信国作（暫定読）"
        },
        {
          "label": "Nagasa",
          "value": "44.5 cm"
        },
        {
          "label": "Sori",
          "value": "1.2 cm"
        },
        {
          "label": "Width",
          "value": "Motohaba 2.8 cm · sakihaba 2.0 cm"
        },
        {
          "label": "Kasane",
          "value": "Motogasane 0.5 cm · sakigasane 0.4 cm"
        },
        {
          "label": "Mekugi-ana",
          "value": "One · both nakago faces photographed"
        },
        {
          "label": "Period",
          "value": "Unrecorded · no appraisal paper supplied"
        }
      ],
      "notes": [
        {
          "lead": "Attribution boundary.",
          "body": "The source title reads the mei as Nobukuni saku (信国作), while its description separately says unsigned. The visible strokes are consistent with the proposed reading, which is retained here only as a provisional transcription following the source title and owner review. No maker attribution is asserted; the blade remains unattributed pending shinsa."
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "title": "Condition record",
      "facts": [
        {
          "label": "Photographs",
          "value": "Sixteen archival photographs · no video"
        },
        {
          "label": "Documents",
          "value": "No registration card, NBTHK/NTHK paper, or other certificate shown"
        }
      ],
      "notes": [
        {
          "lead": "Visible record.",
          "body": "Scratches, dark specks or pitting, flash glare, and nakago corrosion are visible. The photographs do not establish maker, age, or defect classification."
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "plates": [
    {
      "number": "I.1",
      "group": "I",
      "groupTitle": "Shirasaya & Object",
      "title": "Drawn presentation",
      "japanese": "白鞘・全体",
      "caption": "Blade drawn from its plain wooden shirasaya, with the storage mounting aligned beside it.",
      "alt": "Wakizashi Study III: Drawn presentation",
      "image": "https://zufu.whiskey.works/media/na-2026-006/01.jpg",
      "redacted": false
    },
    {
      "number": "I.2",
      "group": "I",
      "groupTitle": "Shirasaya & Object",
      "title": "Closed shirasaya",
      "japanese": "白鞘・全体",
      "caption": "Closed plain wooden shirasaya, documenting the complete storage mounting.",
      "alt": "Wakizashi Study III: Closed shirasaya",
      "image": "https://zufu.whiskey.works/media/na-2026-006/02.jpg",
      "redacted": false
    },
    {
      "number": "II.1",
      "group": "II",
      "groupTitle": "Sugata & Nakago",
      "title": "Full sugata · omote",
      "japanese": "姿・茎",
      "caption": "Full sugata, omote. The 44.5 cm blade has 1.2 cm sori, moderate taper, and a relatively full-bodied profile; old polish and reflected light limit any reading of the hamon.",
      "alt": "Wakizashi Study III: Full sugata · omote",
      "image": "https://zufu.whiskey.works/media/na-2026-006/03.jpg",
      "redacted": false
    },
    {
      "number": "II.2",
      "group": "II",
      "groupTitle": "Sugata & Nakago",
      "title": "Full sugata · ura",
      "japanese": "姿・茎",
      "caption": "The ura full-length view records the same curvature and darkened polish.",
      "alt": "Wakizashi Study III: Full sugata · ura",
      "image": "https://zufu.whiskey.works/media/na-2026-006/04.jpg",
      "redacted": false
    },
    {
      "number": "II.3",
      "group": "II",
      "groupTitle": "Sugata & Nakago",
      "title": "Nakago · omote",
      "japanese": "姿・茎",
      "caption": "Nakago, omote. One mekugi-ana and a difficult, shallow mei are visible. The inscription is transcribed provisionally as Nobukuni saku (信国作), consistent with the source title and owner review; wear and photographic contrast prevent independent authentication. The blade remains unattributed pending shinsa.",
      "alt": "Wakizashi Study III: Nakago · omote",
      "image": "https://zufu.whiskey.works/media/na-2026-006/05.jpg",
      "redacted": false
    },
    {
      "number": "II.4",
      "group": "II",
      "groupTitle": "Sugata & Nakago",
      "title": "Nakago · ura",
      "japanese": "姿・茎",
      "caption": "Nakago, ura. One mekugi-ana, a rounded nakago-jiri, horizontal-to-oblique surface marks, and extensive corrosion are recorded; no legible mei appears on this face.",
      "alt": "Wakizashi Study III: Nakago · ura",
      "image": "https://zufu.whiskey.works/media/na-2026-006/06.jpg",
      "redacted": false
    },
    {
      "number": "III.1",
      "group": "III",
      "groupTitle": "Habaki & Profile",
      "title": "Machi transition",
      "japanese": "鎺・断面観察",
      "caption": "Oblique view across the machi and nakago-to-blade transition.",
      "alt": "Wakizashi Study III: Machi transition",
      "image": "https://zufu.whiskey.works/media/na-2026-006/07.jpg",
      "redacted": false
    },
    {
      "number": "III.2",
      "group": "III",
      "groupTitle": "Habaki & Profile",
      "title": "Blade profile",
      "japanese": "鎺・断面観察",
      "caption": "Edge-on view along the blade toward the kissaki; recorded visually, not used to infer measurements.",
      "alt": "Wakizashi Study III: Blade profile",
      "image": "https://zufu.whiskey.works/media/na-2026-006/08.jpg",
      "redacted": false
    },
    {
      "number": "III.3",
      "group": "III",
      "groupTitle": "Habaki & Profile",
      "title": "Habaki · omote",
      "japanese": "鎺・断面観察",
      "caption": "One face of a plain, one-piece yellow-metal habaki with rounded shoulders and a softly curved lower edge. Exact alloy is not assigned from color alone.",
      "alt": "Wakizashi Study III: Habaki · omote",
      "image": "https://zufu.whiskey.works/media/na-2026-006/09.jpg",
      "redacted": false
    },
    {
      "number": "III.4",
      "group": "III",
      "groupTitle": "Habaki & Profile",
      "title": "Habaki · ura",
      "japanese": "鎺・断面観察",
      "caption": "Opposing face of the plain habaki. Fine horizontal finishing lines and small handling marks are visible across the surface.",
      "alt": "Wakizashi Study III: Habaki · ura",
      "image": "https://zufu.whiskey.works/media/na-2026-006/10.jpg",
      "redacted": false
    },
    {
      "number": "IV.1",
      "group": "IV",
      "groupTitle": "Surface Condition",
      "title": "Blade surface · ura",
      "japanese": "地鉄・鋒",
      "caption": "Blade-surface close-up, ura. Scratches, dark specks, small areas of oxidation or pitting, and flash glare interrupt the ji; no hada or hamon classification is supportable from this view.",
      "alt": "Wakizashi Study III: Blade surface · ura",
      "image": "https://zufu.whiskey.works/media/na-2026-006/11.jpg",
      "redacted": false
    },
    {
      "number": "IV.2",
      "group": "IV",
      "groupTitle": "Surface Condition",
      "title": "Blade surface · ura",
      "japanese": "地鉄・鋒",
      "caption": "Blade-surface close-up, ura. Scratches, reflections, and current polish condition remain visible.",
      "alt": "Wakizashi Study III: Blade surface · ura",
      "image": "https://zufu.whiskey.works/media/na-2026-006/12.jpg",
      "redacted": false
    },
    {
      "number": "IV.3",
      "group": "IV",
      "groupTitle": "Surface Condition",
      "title": "Kissaki · ura",
      "japanese": "地鉄・鋒",
      "caption": "Kissaki, ura. The point and yokote remain geometrically readable, while an irregular bright-edged surface feature in the ji and extensive scratches require in-hand examination before any kizu terminology is applied.",
      "alt": "Wakizashi Study III: Kissaki · ura",
      "image": "https://zufu.whiskey.works/media/na-2026-006/13.jpg",
      "redacted": false
    },
    {
      "number": "IV.4",
      "group": "IV",
      "groupTitle": "Surface Condition",
      "title": "Condition detail · omote",
      "japanese": "地鉄・鋒",
      "caption": "Additional omote condition record. No restoration or defect diagnosis is inferred from the photograph alone.",
      "alt": "Wakizashi Study III: Condition detail · omote",
      "image": "https://zufu.whiskey.works/media/na-2026-006/14.jpg",
      "redacted": false
    },
    {
      "number": "IV.5",
      "group": "IV",
      "groupTitle": "Surface Condition",
      "title": "Condition detail · omote",
      "japanese": "地鉄・鋒",
      "caption": "Additional omote condition record. Dark specks, scratches, and uneven polish are visible, but no named flaw or restoration prognosis is inferred from the photograph alone.",
      "alt": "Wakizashi Study III: Condition detail · omote",
      "image": "https://zufu.whiskey.works/media/na-2026-006/15.jpg",
      "redacted": false
    },
    {
      "number": "IV.6",
      "group": "IV",
      "groupTitle": "Surface Condition",
      "title": "Kissaki · omote",
      "japanese": "地鉄・鋒",
      "caption": "Kissaki, omote. No sharpening, flaw classification, or restoration recommendation is made from this image.",
      "alt": "Wakizashi Study III: Kissaki · omote",
      "image": "https://zufu.whiskey.works/media/na-2026-006/16.jpg",
      "redacted": false
    }
  ],
  "rights": {
    "catalogue": "© 2026 whiskey.works",
    "photographs": "Courtesy of GN-1-Japan, used with permission. No downstream reproduction permission is granted."
  }
}