Miwadama - Miwadama

A type of ornament attached to the handle of a long sword. One side is flat, the other has a large bulge in the middle with smaller bulges on either side, and when viewed from the side it forms the shape of three peaks, which are fastened with a string through the grooves between the peaks. They are usually about 3-4 cm long and 2 cm wide, and most are made of crystal, but some are made of jasper, gilt bronze, or iron, and metal products are hollow. Generally, 5-7 pieces are excavated at a time, and they are often found from the late middle to early late Kofun period. They were once called pillow stones, but many were excavated from a ritual ruin in Miwa-cho, Sakurai City, Nara Prefecture, attracting attention, and the name was given to them from that place, and has remained that way to this day. There were various theories about their use, but because a large sword clay figure once called a fire extinguisher-shaped haniwa had a handle that indicated it was being worn, it was determined that they were decorations on the sword's hilt. This was later reported to have been excavated in Bozuyama Tomb No. 1 in Kyoto Prefecture and Nanamawari Kagamizuka in Tochigi Prefecture, where they were lined up in an arc near the pommel of the sword, proving this.

[Murai Takeo]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

大刀(たち)の柄(つか)につけられた装飾品の一種。片面が平らで、他面は中央に大きな膨らみをもち、その左右に小さな膨らみを備えた形で、側面からみると三つの山形をなし、山の間の溝に紐(ひも)をかけてとじつけたもの。大きさは長さ3～4センチメートル、幅2センチメートル程度が普通で、大半は水晶製であるが、碧玉(へきぎょく)岩や金銅、鉄などでつくられたものもあり、金属製品は中空につくられている。一般に5～7個が一括して出土し、古墳時代中期後半から後期前半にかけての時期に多くみられる。かつては枕石(まくらいし)ともよばれたことがあったが、奈良県桜井市三輪町の祭祀(さいし)遺跡から多く出土して注目されたため、その地名から名がつけられ今日に至っている。用途についても諸説があったが、一時消火器形埴輪(はにわ)とよばれた埴輪大刀の柄に着装を示すものがあったことから、大刀の勾金(まがりかね)の装飾であることが明らかにされた。その後京都府坊主山(ぼうずやま)1号墳や栃木県七廻鏡塚(ななまわりかがみづか)などで、それを実証するように、大刀の柄頭(つかがしら)のそばに弧状に並んで出土したことが報告されている。

［村井嵓雄］

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