Eifu Tachi - Eifu Tachi

… On the other hand, as the samurai rose to power towards the end of the Heian period, many kinds of samurai staff swords were used, including tweezer-shaped swords, brocade-wrapped swords, hirumaki-wrapped swords, hyogo-kusari-dachi swords, leather-wrapped swords, and black lacquer swords. The brocade-shaped swords were named after the brocade-shaped openwork on the blade and the hilt, which was made by applying a ring around it. They were also called Efu-dachi swords because they were used by officials of the Efu. The swords in the Kasuga Taisha Shrine collection have gold-plated ground, cats and sparrows in a bamboo forest in mother-of-pearl inlay, and metal fittings with gilt bronze arabesque patterns, and together with the brocade-wrapped swords at Ise Shrine, they are the most elegant of the brocade-wrapped swords. …

*Some of the terminology used to refer to "Efu Tachi" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…　一方，平安時代の末期になり武士が台頭すると，武士用の兵杖太刀も多くの種類が見られ，毛抜形太刀，錦包太刀，蛭巻（ひるまき）太刀，兵庫鎖太刀，革包太刀，黒漆太刀などが用いられた。毛抜形太刀は刀身の茎（なかご）に毛抜形の透しを施し，覆輪をかけてそのまま柄としたことからの名称で，衛府（えふ）の官人の料であったため衛府太刀とも呼ばれている。春日大社蔵のものは金沃懸地に，竹林に猫と雀を螺鈿であらわし，金銅唐草文の金具を付した作で，伊勢神宮の錦包の作とともに毛抜形太刀の中では最も優雅な作域を示している。…

※「衛府太刀」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報