Inaridai Sword
Encyclopedia
Inaridai Sword, also known as Inaridai No. 1 Kofun tumulus Iron Sword (稲荷台一号墳出土鉄剣 Inaridai Ichi-gōfun Shutsudo Tekken) in Japan is an ancient iron sword excavated in Inaridai No. 1 Kofun tumulus in Chiba Prefecture
, Japan
. The sword was probably forged in Kinai region in the 5th century and buried with the deceased person in the late of the century. Its silver-inlaid inscription is the important source of the Japanese domestic politics in the period.
In English;
, written in the Chinese historical text Book of Song
.
In the Kofun period
the polity in Kinai region advanced toward the reunification of Japan. The sword, which was bestowed to the local ruling family by the king of Wa, is regarded as an example of the birth of the ancient unified state.
Chiba Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The sword was probably forged in Kinai region in the 5th century and buried with the deceased person in the late of the century. Its silver-inlaid inscription is the important source of the Japanese domestic politics in the period.
Inscription
The original Chinese text is as follows;- 王賜□□敬安 / 此□（廷）□（刀）□□□
In English;
- King bestows (...) Own [this] with respect. / This sword is (...).
Interpretation
In the tumulus two men were buried in each wooden coffin. Artifacts excavated around the tomb indicate the two were local warrior class nobles in the 5th century. Some scholars speculate the king mentioned in the inscription was King Sai, one of the Five kings of WaFive kings of Wa
The five kings of Wa are kings of ancient Japan who sent envoys to China during the 5th century to strengthen the legitimacy of their claims to power by gaining the recognition of the Chinese emperor. Details about them are unknown...
, written in the Chinese historical text Book of Song
Book of Song
The Book of Song , also called "The History of the Song," is a historical text of the Liu Song Dynasty of the Southern Dynasties of China. It covers history from 420 to 479, and is one of the Twenty-Four Histories, a traditional collection of historical records. It was authored by Shen Yue from...
.
In the Kofun period
Kofun period
The is an era in the history of Japan from around 250 to 538. It follows the Yayoi period. The word kofun is Japanese for the type of burial mounds dating from this era. The Kofun and the subsequent Asuka periods are sometimes referred to collectively as the Yamato period...
the polity in Kinai region advanced toward the reunification of Japan. The sword, which was bestowed to the local ruling family by the king of Wa, is regarded as an example of the birth of the ancient unified state.
See also
- Seven-Branched SwordSeven-Branched SwordThe Seven-Branched Sword , also known as the Seven-Pronged Sword, the Seven-Branched Knife, the Seven-Pronged Spear, Nanatsusaya no Tachi in Nihon shoki, Chiljido in Korea is a 74.9 cm long iron sword with six branch-like protrusions along the central blade originally made in Baekje Korea,...
- Inariyama SwordInariyama SwordThe iron or was excavated at the Inariyama Kofun in 1968. Inariyama Kofun is located in Saitama Prefecture. In 1978, X-ray analysis revealed a gold-inlaid inscription that comprises more than 115 Chinese characters. This sword was described as the discovery of the century for the study of...
- Eta Funayama SwordEta Funayama Swordin Japan is a 5th century ancient iron sword excavated from the Eta Funayama kofun in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan in 1873. The inscription on the blade shows the era of Emperor Yūryaku in the 5th century...
- Tōdaijiyama SwordTodaijiyama SwordTōdaijiyama Sword, also known as Tōdaijiyama Kofun Iron Sword in Japan is an ancient iron sword excavated in Tōdaijiyama kofun in Nara Prefecture, Japan. The sword was forged in China in the 2nd century and the oldest inscribed iron sword excavated in Japan...
External links
- Cover graphics, National Museum of Japanese History