Was there any practical reason for the curved shape or was it purely aesthetic?
hi! fyi, you may be interested in these previous posts
What is the point of a curved blade?
Why are "eastern" swords generally depicted as curved, and "western" as straight? And does this have any basis in historical reality?
Were katanas really that great?
Why did Samurai wear their blades facing up, and have wear the set? What about the Tanto dagger?
What was the advantage of a sword being curved and sharp on only one side, as opposed to straight and sharp on both sides?