日本の刀

伯耆安綱,By Yasutsuna,東京国立博物館,Tokyo National Museum

<p>Legend tells of how the warrior Minamoto no Raiko slayed a man-eating demon with this blade. Myths aside, it was without a doubt wielded by a number of famous generals.<br /></p>

長船景光,By Kagemitsu,東京国立博物館,Tokyo National Museum

<p>A prominent work of Kagemitsu, a member of the Osafune school in present-day Okayama prefecture, this sword features a texture and temper pattern of exceptional brilliance.<br /></p><br /><p>The tang of a sword is the blunt, narrow part around which the hilt, or grip, is fitted. When the sword is stored away, the tang is fitted into a hilt and the sword is sheathed in a scabbard. The upper section of this sword's tang features relief images of a dragon entwined around a sword on one side and a Sanskrit character on the other. The dragon is a depiction of Kurikara Ryuo, the dragon form of Fudo Myoo, or Acalanatha in Sanskrit, with the Sanskrit character also representing the Buddhist deity. Fudo Myoo was believed to burn away all hindrances and problems, so he was often engraved on Japanese swords. The length of this sword was shortened as it passed down from owner to owner, so when the tang is fitted into the hilt, the dragon is partially concealed and appears quite small. For this reason, the sword is known as “Koryu Kagemitsu.” “Koryu” means “small dragon” in Japanese, while “Kagemitsu” refers to the sword's creator. Kagemitsu belonged to the Osafune school of swordsmiths and he was active in the first half of the 14th century in the southern part of modern-day Okayama prefecture. This sword is renowned as one of his representative works.<br /><br />The metal surfaces of Japanese swords have wood grain patterns that resemble the rings of a tree. The extremely-fine pattern on this sword appears black and it contrasts with the whiteness of the blade edge. A gleaming temper pattern conveys a sense of tension as it sits between these two extremes. As the accompanying diagram shows, the temper pattern features small semi-circles that all incline in the same direction. This is a common trait of swords made by Kagemitsu and his pupils.</p>

勝光,Katsumitsu

本作は、庵棟（いおりむね）、身幅（みはば）と重（かさ）ねは尋常、反り頃合い、中鋒（ちゅうきっさき）で、腰反（こしぞ）り、茎（なかご）は寸詰まりの典型的な末古刀（すえことう）姿を示しており、鍛えは、杢目（もくめ）肌が詰み、処々板目（いため）肌が流れ、刃文は直刃調、刃縁（はべり）締まりごころで小沸（こにえ）つき、ところどころほつれて、鎺元（はばきもと）にしたがいわずかに小さく乱れる。帽子は直ぐに先尖（さきとが）りごころに小丸（こまる）。彫刻は表裏とも丸止めの棒樋（ぼうひ）、加えて添樋（そえび）がある。茎（なかご）には、表裏に作者と年紀銘がある。俗銘は切られていないが、次郎左衛門尉勝光の入念（にゅうねん）作である。

長光,Nagamitsu

本作は、生（う）ぶ在銘で、腰反（こしぞ）り深く、小鋒（こきっさき）。刃文は細直刃（ほそすぐは）調にきわめて小さい小乱れを交じえるなど比較的大人しい出来（でき）である。茎（なかご）には個性ある長光の二字銘がある。鎌倉期のものは無銘ものが多いが、長光は現存在銘刀が多い刀工の一人でもある。

菊御作,Kikugosaku,京都国立博物館 Kyoto National Museum,Kyoto National Museum

<p>Long Sword (Tachi)<br />(Kiku Gosaku)<br />With hairline chrysanthemum engraving<br /><br />Go-Toba(1180–1239) was the first emperor ever to ascend without<br />receiving the three imperial regalia. The imperial sword<br />was then lost at sea during the 1185 Battle of Dannoura.<br />Go-Toba later became fascinated with swords,<br />even quenching blades himself with help from imperial<br />smiths (goban kaji). The chrysanthemum crest he used<br />on these is now the imperial emblem.</p>

古備前包平,By Kanehira,東京国立博物館,Tokyo National Museum

<p>The curved, single-edged Japanese sword was perfected in the 1100s, coinciding with the rise of the samurai in warfare and politics. This blade was crafted by the master swordsmith Kanehira during this era. Today, it is considered one of the most valuable Japanese blades in existence due to its age and exceptional craftsmanship.<br /></p>