* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Kinji Raden Kenukigata Tachi
金地螺鈿毛抜形太刀
Also known as: Gold-ground raden kenukigata tachi; the sword with the cat and sparrows in a bamboo grove; National Treasure sword of Kasuga Taisha
Description
A Heian-Period Ceremonial Tachi at Kasuga Taisha
Kinji Raden Kenukigata Tachi is a Heian-period kenukigata tachi preserved at Kasuga Taisha in Nara. It was designated a National Treasure on 9 June 1951. Kenukigata tachi, named for the tweezer-shaped (kenuki) openwork cut into the hilt, were a style of ceremonial sword worn by palace guard officials (efu kanin) in the Heian period; this example is thought to have been made not for practical use but for dedication and ritual purposes. Only three complete Heian-period tachi are known to survive in Japan today, and this sword is one of that rare group, valued as well as a record of the prototype form of later Japanese swords. It is said to have been moved out of the second hall of the shrine's honden during the 56th regular rebuilding ceremony (shikinen zotai) of Kasuga Taisha in 1930.
The Raden Design on the Scabbard
The scabbard is finished in a kin-ikakeji (gold-sprinkled lacquer) ground decorated with raden (inlaid mother-of-pearl) depicting a cat and sparrows within a bamboo grove. The cat's eyes and markings, the sparrows, and the bamboo leaves are further accented with inlaid colored glass and fine engraving. On both faces of the scabbard the same cat is shown across three successive scenes — stalking, chasing, and catching the sparrows — a narrative composition unfolding over time rather than a static repeating pattern, a feature that distinguishes this piece. The refinement of this raden work has led it to be ranked among the finest of all surviving raden-decorated swords.
Metal Fittings and Technique
The fittings on the hilt and scabbard mouth employ nanako-ji, a surface technique of densely arrayed granular dots resembling fish roe. Recent scientific investigation has confirmed that many of these fittings are made not of gilding but of nearly pure gold itself, suggesting the dedication was made by a person of considerable standing.
Designation and Preservation
The sword is held at the Kasuga Taisha Treasure Hall (Kokuhoden) and is counted among the shrine's sacred treasures not regularly open to public view. Its official cultural-property designation name is "Kinji Raden Kenukigata Tachi," and it is registered as a craft-work National Treasure in Japan's national cultural-property database.
Legends & Stories
The raden inlay on the scabbard depicts a cat stalking, chasing, and finally catching sparrows in a bamboo grove across three sequential scenes, an unusual narrative composition unfolding over time rather than a static repeating pattern. Owing to this endearing cat-and-sparrow design, the sword has in recent years drawn attention among cat enthusiasts and has been featured in special exhibitions at the Kasuga Taisha Treasure Hall.