sankozuka-no-ken　三鈷柄剣

KEY WORD :　art history / sculptures

A sword, with a blade at one end and a handle topped by three prongs shaped like a *sankosho 三鈷杵. Originally used by hermits and priests travelling through mountain areas to clear wild plants in their path, the sword took on a symbolic meaning in Buddhist prayers as a weapon to chase away the devil. A famous Kamakura period example can be seen in Kuramadera 鞍馬寺, Kyoto. The sankozuka-no-ken is often an attribute *jimotsu 持物 held by Buddhist figures such as *Senju Kannon 千手観音, *Monju 文殊 and *Fudou Myouou 不動明王.

REFERENCES:

EXTERNAL LINKS:

NOTES:

(C)2001 Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System.　No reproduction or republication without written permission. 掲載のテキスト・写真・イラストなど、全てのコンテンツの無断複製・転載を禁じます。