* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Gilt-Bronze Ring-Pommel Tachi and Mounting
金銅荘環頭大刀拵・大刀身
Also known as: Twin-Dragon Ring-Pommel Tachi; Sacred Sword of Komura Shrine
Description
The Sacred Sword of Komura Shrine
The gilt-bronze ring-pommel tachi and its mounting have been enshrined as the sacred object (goshintai) of Komura Shrine in Hidaka, Kochi Prefecture, and are dated to the late Kofun to early Asuka period, the first half of the 7th century. Rather than an excavated artifact, it is a transmitted heirloom said by shrine tradition to have been kept there since the shrine's founding, and it is regarded as Japan's oldest surviving transmitted (as opposed to excavated) straight sword.
The Twin-Dragon Ring Pommel
The pommel is crowned with a gilt-bronze ring featuring an openwork design of two facing dragons. Its outer ring is somewhat flattened, and the dragon motif is highly stylized, rendered in openwork sheet metal. This manner of work belongs to the lineage of ring-pommel swords found on the continent, and the blade is prized as evidence of exchange between ancient Japan and the Korean peninsula.
Dimensions
The blade is a straight sword; including the mounting, its total length is 119.0 cm, with a blade length of 68.3 cm, a hilt length of 19.4 cm, and a scabbard length of 103.2 cm.
Designation and Public Viewing
It was designated a National Treasure on February 8, 1958. It remains enshrined at Komura Shrine as its sacred object, normally closed to public view, but is shown to visitors once a year during the shrine's annual festival on November 15.
Legends & Stories
Shrine tradition holds that Komura Shrine was founded in 587, and that this sword has been venerated as its sacred object from that founding onward. Having been kept largely hidden from view as a shintai for centuries is said to be one reason its continental-influenced design survives today in such fine condition.