A Interdisciplinary Study of Acient Swords with Inlay Characters

包括文献记载的在内，在日本已知的镶字剑有15把，现存的有12把：古fun时期（公元4世纪至公元7世纪初）的8把，飞鸟时代以后（公元7世纪中期至15世纪）的4把。剑本身是铁制的，镶嵌物上刻有制造日期、历史背景、主人姓名、吉祥语等，用金、银或铜制成。这些剑作为史料具有巨大的价值。本文作者通过四种方法对现存的15把剑进行了研究：对出土地点的调查、对铭文的文学分析、对所使用的镶嵌技术的检验以及对镶嵌物的冶金分析。古fun时期的九把剑可以分为两类：代代相传的剑和为一代地方统治者制造的剑。古坟时代的剑是在中国、朝鲜半岛和日本制造的；外国制造的剑具有较高的地位，被历代国王使用，而国内生产的剑则由大和政府专门制造，供地方统治者使用。古坟时代的镶剑是政治、军事和经济实力的象征。除了皇帝的剑。古fun时代之后，这些剑失去了政治和经济的象征意义，但继续作为鼓舞人心的文物，鼓励胜利、健康和幸福。

Including those found only in records, it is believed that 15 swords with inlaid characters were known in Japan of which 12 are still extant : eight from the KOFUN period (4th - early 7th c. A.D.) and four from the ASUKA Period onward (the mid-7th c. - 15th c.A.D.).The swords themselves are of iron, and the inlays, telling the date of manufacture, the historical background, owner's name, auspicious words, and so on, are of gold, silver, or copper. These swords are of immense value as historical data.The present author has studied all fifteen extant swords in four ways : surveys of the sites where they were found, literary analyses of the inscriptions, examination of the inlay techniques used, and a metallurgical analysis of the inlaysFrom these extensive studies, the anthor thinks that four things may be said ;1. The nine sword dating from the KOFUN Period may be grouped into two categories : those handed down from generation to generation of kings, and those made for one generation of local rulers.2. The KOFUN Period swords were manufactured in China, the Korean peninsula, and Japan ; the foreigh-made swords, accorded higher status, were used by generations of kings, while the domestically produced swords were exclusively manufactured by the Yamato government for presentation to local rulers.3. The KOFUN Period inlaid swords were symbols of political, military and economic power.4. With the exception of the Emperor's sword. after the KOFUN Period these swords lost their political and economic symbolism, but continued as inspirational artifacts, encouraging victory, health, and happiness.