Red-Lacquered Daishō (朱塗大小) - Edo period
This matched pair of swords, consisting of a katana (刀) and wakizashi (脇差), is mounted in distinctive red-lacquered scabbards. The colour recalls the famous Ii no Aka-zonae (井伊の赤備え), the "Red Armour" tradition for which the lords of Hikone and their retainers were renowned. In the Edo period, such finely mounted swords served not only as weapons but also as symbols of rank, status, and clan identity.
