View source for Tonbokiri

{{Short description|Legendary Japanese spear}}
{{expand Japanese|蜻蛉切|date=May 2021}}
{{Italic title|reason=[[:Category:Japanese words and phrases]]}}
[[File:An Ō-sasaho yari, the copy of Tonbogiri.JPG|thumb|upright|Replica of the Tonbokiri, made in 1847, in the [[Tokyo National Museum]]]]The {{Nihongo|'''''Tonbokiri'''''|蜻蛉切|}} is one of [[Three Great Spears of Japan|three legendary Japanese spears]] created by the famed swordsmith Sengo Masazane, said to be wielded by the ''[[daimyō]]'' [[Honda Tadakatsu]], a leading general of [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]].

== Name ==
The spear derives its name from the myth that a [[dragonfly]] landed on its blade and was instantly cut in two. Thus ''tonbo'' ([[Japanese language|Japanese]] for "dragonfly") and ''kiri'' (Japanese for "cutting"), translating this spear's name as "Dragonfly Cutter".

== History ==
The weapon, along with [[:jp:日本号|Nihongō]] and [[:jp:御手杵|Otegine]], is listed as one of "three great spears" in the ''Kyōhō Meibutsucho'', a listing of famous Koto blades made before the [[Nanboku-chō period|Nanbokucho]] period and compiled by the [[Hon'ami family]] during the [[Kyōhō]] era (1716–1735).<ref>Nagayama, Kōkan. ''The Connoisseur's Book of Japanese Swords''. Kodansha International, 1997. p35</ref>

The Tonbokiri is owned by a private individual and is on loan to the [[Sano Art Museum]] for its collection.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20210603130328/https://www.touken-world.jp/tips/17669/ Three Great Spears of Japan.] The Nagoya Japanese Sword Museum “Nagoya Touken World”</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Spears of Japan]]
[[Category:Individual weapons]]
[[Category:Shizuoka Prefecture designated tangible cultural property]]


{{Japan-mil-hist-stub}}
{{Polearm-stub}}