Sword with rounded pommel, scabbard, and hilt
- Gallery Location Gallery 25
Burial Objects
Archaeologists have found numerous stone bracelets in burial chambers from the early Kofun period (250–552). Along with bronze mirrors, comma-shaped beads, and other stone and shell artifacts, the bracelets are generally associated with shamanistic practices. Armor and weaponry prominently appear in tombs later in the Kofun period and represent a shift toward objects that reflect the military and economic power base of the deceased.
The gilding on the pommel and fittings for this sword indicate that this was a ceremonial object owned by a Kofun period elite, and not a weapon for practical use. The two raised fittings on the scabbard, used to hold a cord for hanging the sword on a belt, were probably transferred to this iron scabbard from the original wooden sheath for this straight sword blade.
