How is the gold-black saya pattern made?

The saya is crafted from hardwood and finished with a natural lacquer coat, then decorated with a scattered gold floral pattern on a black ground. Each piece has a unique distribution of the gold speckle, so no two sayas look identical.

What does the dragon saya design look like?

The hardwood saya is lacquered in deep black with a deeply embossed dragon design along its full length. Orange-red accent coloring fills the carved recesses, contrasting sharply against the dark base coat. A braided brown sageo cord is knotted at the kurigata.

How is the teal saya constructed and decorated?

The saya is built from hardwood with a teal lacquer finish and a crackle-style engraved surface running its full length. Dark blue sageo cord is tied at the koiguchi, matching the tsuka wrap for a unified koshirae look.

What saya finishes are available in this wave tsuba collection?

The scabbard selection in this collection is deliberately varied to support different display aesthetics. Options include classic jet-black lacquered hardwood, black piano-lacquer saya with red lightning stripe inlays, deep green saya with speckled surface treatments, hand-painted pearlescent finishes in blue tones, and black hardwood with understated matte surfaces. Each saya is paired to complement the corresponding tsuba finish - for example, a copper wave tsuba is often matched with green or dark lacquer saya to create contrast, while gold-tone tsuba are paired with black or speckled finishes to let the guard stand out as a focal point. The lacquer coating also serves a practical purpose for display longevity, providing a protective layer against humidity and surface abrasion when the piece is stored or mounted.

How is the cherry blossom saya decorated?

Updated Mar 2026

The white hardwood saya is sealed in natural lacquer and hand-painted with a red cherry blossom and branching limb motif across a swirling grey-white ground. Because each is painted by hand, the exact pattern placement varies slightly per piece.