Ring-shaped pommel with phoenix design

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.

In the context of Kofun tombs, swords like this one are thought to indicate the high status and authority of the occupant. Some excavated tombs have revealed swords among caches of other weapons, armor, and horse trappings.

Like the sword on the right side of this case, this sword’s straight iron blade was probably once sheathed in a wooden scabbard, later replaced by the metal one shown here. The ring-shaped gilt bronze pommel displayed between the sword and scabbard was made at a later date for a different sword. Framing a phoenix head in profile, the pommel’s design was based on a mainland prototype.