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漢委奴國王 |
This Chinese gold seal invests a Japanese ruler as "King of Na of Wa of Han." The king thus acknowledged the power of the Han dynasty to support his position as lord Na, a "kingdom" in north Kyūshū. This investiture corresponds to a passage dated 57 CE in the History of the latter Han 後漢書 describing relations with Japan. The seal was discovered in 1784 and was initially considered a forgery, but is now thought to be authentic.