Marto - Shirasaya Wakizashi

The Wakizashi, which means "side-inserted sword," is one of the traditionally crafted Japanese swords worn by the samurai class in feudal Japan
The wakizashi, worn together with the katana, was the official symbol that the wearer was a samurai or swordsman of feudal Japan. When they are worn together, the pair of swords is called daishō, which literally translates to "large-small"
The Wakizashi was one of several short swords available to samurai, including the tantō
While wearing a katana was restricted to the samurai class, the Wakizashi of legal length (ko-wakizashi) could be worn by the Chonin class, which included merchants. This was common while traveling due to the risk of encountering bandits. Wakizashi were worn on the left side, attached to the waist sash
Shirasaya was a special type of sword mounting for better and gentler storage of the blade during the night or extended periods of non-use. The advantage of using untreated magnolia wood was its property of being low in acidity and not containing any other substances that could harm the blade. It has not been treated afterwards, absorbed the moisture of the sword and directed it outwards. The katana remained dry and did not rust
Shirasaya swords were often inscribed with a description ('Sayagaki') containing information about the blade, such as origin, place and time of forging, name of the smith, and appraiser
"Since the emperor towards the end of the 19". In the 19th century, the wearing of edged weapons was prohibited, leading to a reduction in the overall decoration around the handle and tsuba, resulting in the now well-known Shirasaya mounting. The carrier did not stand out further due to the similarity of the Katana to a wooden sword or staff and had a way to carry it with them

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