Take to Kiku Wakizashi (竹と菊) – Bamboo and Chrysanthemum

Take to Kiku (竹と菊): bamboo and chrysanthemum

Bamboo (take) and chrysanthemum (kiku) belong to the “Four Gentlemen” of East Asian art, alongside the plum blossom and the orchid. Bamboo, which bends without breaking, embodies uprightness and resilience. The chrysanthemum, flower of autumn and imperial emblem, evokes longevity and nobility.

This wakizashi brings the two together: bamboo leaves radiate through the guard, while chrysanthemums bloom across the fuchi and kashira.

A mirror-polished 1060 steel blade with bo-hi

The blade is crafted from 1060 steel, a medium-carbon steel prized for its well-judged balance of hardness and flexibility. It follows a shinogi-zukuri geometry with a chū-kissaki point, and carries a short polished bo-hi along its full length.

The surface is mirror-polished and presents a striking two-tone contrast, with a broad undulating band in dark grey. This gunome-style line is a decorative hamon.

A buke-zukuri mounting between bamboo and chrysanthemum

The round (maru-gata) tsuba in grey and gold patinated alloy is pierced (ji-sukashi) with rays evoking slender bamboo leaves, their veins carved in relief (takabori). It is bordered by a knurled gold fukurin and framed by two seppa in gold-toned brass with a scalloped edge.

The gold patinated alloy fuchi carries a floral and foliate design in relief, while the kashira bears chrysanthemums in relief. The handle combines solid wood with a faux red ray skin, wrapped in black tsuka-ito in hineri-maki style, with black menuki. The ichimai habaki in patinated copper features a geometric relief motif.

A veined burnt-orange lacquered saya

The saya is solid wood, covered in a glossy burnt-orange lacquer with a veined effect that calls to mind the wood tones of autumn. The rounded (maru) koiguchi and kojiri are lacquered in gloss black, unadorned. The black lacquered kurikata with gold shitodome carries a black cotton sageo.

Dimensions and handling of the wakizashi

With a blade of 51 cm and an overall length of 78 cm, Take to Kiku carries the proportions of a wakizashi, the short companion to the katana. Its 23 cm handle offers a comfortable one-handed grip, with room for the second hand to brace. At 1 kg, it remains nimble in hand. Measuring 80 cm within its saya, it is ideally proportioned for display alone or alongside a katana.