小烏丸
Kogarasu-maru
別名: Little Crow
解說
Often called the origin of the Japanese sword, Kogarasu-maru features the extraordinarily rare kissaki-moroha-zukuri construction, in which the upper half of the blade is double-edged. It represents a precious transitional form between the ancient straight sword and the curved Japanese tachi. Legend holds it was bestowed upon Taira no Sadamori — founder of the Kanmu Heishi line — by a divine crow (yatagarasu) from Ise Grand Shrine. It was thereafter treasured by the Taira clan for generations. After the Meiji Restoration, it was presented to the Imperial Household. Attributed to the legendary smith Amakuni, its true date and authorship remain debated.
逸話與傳說
The legend of Kogarasu-maru belongs to the realm of myth. In the era of Emperor Kanmu, a great crow — the divine yatagarasu of Ise Grand Shrine — appeared in the dreams of Taira no Sadamori and bestowed upon him a sword with the divine command: 'Guard the nation with this blade.' Upon waking, Sadamori found the tachi at his pillow — this was Kogarasu-maru. Its unusual double-edged tip combines features of continental straight swords and the distinctly Japanese curved blade, offering a glimpse of the very birth of the Japanese sword. Surviving the fall of the Taira clan, it has endured for over a millennium as an Imperial treasure. It stands alone as a living witness to the origins of the Japanese sword tradition.
相關名刀
村正
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Sengo Muramasa (1st–3rd generation)
正宗
National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties (multiple works)Masamune
Okazaki Masamune (Gorō Nyūdō Masamune)
長曽祢虎徹
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Nagasone Okisato (Kotetsu)
大般若長光
National TreasureDaihannya Nagamitsu
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