On the other hand, court nobles wore tachi decorated with precisely carved metal and jewels for ceremonial purposes. The hilt of a tachi is wrapped in leather or ray skin, and it is wrapped with black thread or leather cord, and the scabbard is coated with black lacquer. įrom the Heian period (794–1185), ordinary samurai wore swords of the style called kurourusi tachi (kokushitsu no tachi, 黒漆太刀), which meant black lacquer tachi. For example, in the poem "The Song of Japanese Swords" Ouyang Xiu, a statesman of the Song Dynasty in China, described Japanese swords as "It is a treasured sword with a scabbard made of fragrant wood covered with fish skin, decorated with brass and copper, and capable of exorcising evil spirits. īy the 11th century during the Heian period, tachi were exported to neighboring countries in Asia. As eras changed, the center of the curve tended to move up the blade. Early models had uneven curves with the deepest part of the curve at the hilt. However, According to Yoshikazu Kondo, bow and arrows were certainly the main weapons used in cavalry battles, but from around the Genpei War in the 12th century, the use of tachi on horseback increased. According to historian Karl Friday, before the 13th century, there are no written references or drawings showing swords of any kind were used from horseback. The curved sword is a far more efficient weapon wielded by a warrior on horseback the curve of the blade adds considerably to the downward force of a cutting action. Cavalry were now the dominant fighting unit, and the older straight chokutō were unsuitable for fighting from horseback. Its shape may reflect the changing form of warfare in Japan. As a result, a sword with three basic external elements of Japanese swords, the cross-sectional shape of shinogi-zukuri, a gently curved single-edged blade, and the structure of nakago, was completed. In the tachi developed after kenukigata-tachi, a structure in which the hilt is fixed to the tang ( nakago) with a pin called mekugi was adopted. The term kenukigata is derived from the fact the central part of tang is hollowed in the shape of an ancient Japanese tweezers ( kenuki). There is no wooden hilt attached to kenukigata-tachi, and the tang ( nakago), integrated with the blade, is directly gripped and used. Kenukigata-tachi, which was developed in the first half of the 10th century, has a three-dimensional cross-sectional shape of an elongated pentagonal or hexagonal blade called shinogi-zukuri and a gently curved single-edged blade, typical features of Japanese swords. To be more precise, it is thought that the Emishi improved the warabitetō and developed Kenukigata-warabitetō ( ja:毛抜形蕨手刀) with a hole in the hilt and kenukigatatō ( ja:毛抜形刀) without decorations on the tip of the hilt, and the samurai developed kenukigata-tachi based on these swords. In the middle of the Heian period (794–1185), samurai improved on the warabitetō to develop kenukigata-tachi ( ja:毛抜形太刀) -early Japanese sword. The predecessor of the Japanese sword has been called warabitetō ( ja:蕨手刀). Gendaitō (modern or contemporary swords 1876–present).Jōkotō (ancient swords, until around 900).The production of swords in Japan is divided into specific time periods: Okanehira, together with Dojikiri, is considered one of the best Japanese swords in terms of art and is compared to the yokozuna (the highest rank of a sumo wrestler) of Japanese swords. 12th century, Heian period, National Treasure, Tokyo National Museum. Even after the Muromachi period (1336–1573), when katana became the mainstream, tachi were often worn by high-ranking samurai. Tachi were the mainstream Japanese swords of the Kotō period between 9. The tachi style of swords preceded the development of the katana, which was not mentioned by name until near the end of the twelfth century. Tachi and uchigatana generally differ in length, degree of curvature, and how they were worn when sheathed, the latter depending on the location of the mei (銘), or signature, on the tang. 70–80 cm ( 27 + 9⁄ 16– 31 + 1⁄ 2 in)Ī tachi ( 太刀) is a type of sabre-like traditionally made Japanese sword ( nihonto) worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan. blade, 12th century mounting, 18th century. Itomaki-no-tachi style sword mounting with chrysanthemum and paulownia crests on nashiji laquer ground.
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