Description
This elongated tantō by master smith Nobukuni is replete with Buddhist imagery, showing his skill as well as the influence of his probable teacher Sadamune. On one side of the blade are carvings of a heavenly canopy, a Sanskrit letter for Dainichi (Mahāvairocana) Buddha, a lotus dais, stylized antlers, and a ken (double-edged ritual sword) with a three-pronged vajra handle.
Data source
ColBase
"ColBase: Integrated Collections Database of the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, Japan" is a service that enables a multi-database search of the collections in the four national museums (To...
Contents holder/Provider
Aggregator
National Institutes for Cultural Heritage
The National Institutes for Cultural Heritage (NICH) comprise four National Museums (Tokyo National Museum, Kyoto National Museum, Nara National Museum, and Kyushu National Museum) and two National Research Institutes for Cultural Properties (Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, and Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties), as well as the International Research Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region (IRCI) in Sakai City, for a total of seven institutions.
Last updated
July 20, 2026