* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Mitsuurokomon Hyogogusari Tachi (Hojo Tachi)
三烏羅紋兵庫鎖太刀
Also known as: Hojo family transmission; Kamakura period; held at Tokyo National Museum
Description
Ceremonial Tachi Associated with the Hojo Family
The Mitsuurokomon Hyogogusari Tachi is a ceremonial long sword (tachi) forged in the Kamakura period and designated as an Important Cultural Property held by the Tokyo National Museum. Blade length: 70.8 cm.
Name and Significance
The name "Mitsuurokomon" (三烏羅紋) refers to the family crest cast upon the sword's metal fittings — a composition of three crows and scale patterns symbolizing the influential Hojo clan. This motif is rivetted on the blade flange and engraved throughout the fitting, a testament to the Hojo's political prominence.
Hyogo Kusari Tachi Form
A "Hyogo Kusari Tachi" (chain-fitted tachi) is a style of sword suspended by chain rather than cloth cord, used ceremonially by nobility and high-ranking warriors. This blade exemplifies that form during the Kamakura period.
Forging and School
Though the smith is unknown, the steel and hamon exhibit characteristics of the Fukuoka Ichimonji school: small, finely detailed clove-shaped patterns with a reverse-sloping hamon. It is regarded as a high-quality work from the mid-to-late Kamakura Fukuoka Ichimonji production.
Current Status
The blade is designated an Important Cultural Property and is presently held and studied at the Tokyo National Museum, serving as an important resource for research into samurai costume and armor.
Legends & Stories
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