This study is concerned with iron swords with dragon and phoenix-decorated ring pommel discovered in the 5th-6th century, central and southern regions of the Korean Peninsula and Japan. The purpose of this study is to examine the roles of iron swords with dragon and phoenix-decorated ring pommel excavated in the Baekje region in the Korean Peninsula and the peculiarity of that culture. For this purpose, this study focused on Baekje iron swords with dragon and phoenix-decorated ring pommel, breaking from Kaya iron swords with dragon and phoenix-decorated ring pommel, which had intensively been investigated since there were lots of excavated objects. In addition, it is noted that in the research to examine the places where iron swords with dragon and phoenix-decorated ring pommel were manufactured with the manufacturing techniques sub-divided until recently, there is a limitation that it is not possible to specify the places of production if there are overlapping various production techniques. Thus, this study comprehensively summed up iron swords with dragon and phoenix-decorated ring pommel in the central and southern regions of the Korean Peninsula, which have been investigated till now. Along with the clearly distinguished production technique, this study recognized that the image of the pattern of dragon and phoenix is of great importance, and breaking from simple assessment of the type of the images, this study investigated iron swords with dragon and phoenix-decorated ring pommel through a comparison of the images.

First, this study actually inspected the relics and divided the properties classified to select the production technique with the distinct locality. To check their temporality, this study assessed the period of each form, referring to the preceding chronological studies. As a result, there was no clear boundary of chronology between forms, so this study set up two stages, the stage of emergence and the stage of establishment.

In the stage of emergence, in the objects excavated in the Baekje region, outer bracing type two-dragon motif in sword with ring pommel and inner central decoration type single phoenix motif in terms of the degeneration of the pattern, formal continuity is found in the Kaya region as well as in the Baekje region.

In the stage of establishment, inner central decoration single dragon motif and outer eating type two-dragon motif in sword with ring pommel started in the objects excavated in the royal tomb of King Muryeong, so formal continuity is found in the Wa (Japan) region in terms of the degeneration of the pattern. In the Kaya region, no continuity is found in terms of the image, except for a single dragon pattern sword with ring pommel in former Tomb No. 39 of Jisandong in Goryeong (Tomb No. 5). And yet, after the stage of establishment, the Kaya region developed its own original culture of an iron sword with dragon and phoenix-decorated ring pommel, and no comparable relics were discovered yet in the Baekje region. Thus, it is expected that it would be possible to understand the relationship between Baekje and Kaya more clearly in the stage of establishment if data are supplemented.

Baekje actively utilized the image of the pattern of dragon and phoenix from the Hanseong Dynasty through the Sabi Dynasty, and this is found in the images of the dragon pattern on other relics, such as official hats, gilt-bronze shoes, and belt ornaments. Compared to the pattern of dragon and phoenix of the objects excavated in the Kaya and Wa regions near the area where they were excavated, Baekje had a lasting influence on Kaya and Wa, concerning the pattern of dragon and phoenix.

Like this, Baekje produced iron swords with dragon and phoenix-decorated ring pommel first in the Korean Peninsula, and on the background, it had a high level of metal craft skills and also applied the image of the pattern of dragon and phoenix to the national central craft workshop from China and Goguryeo. This culture of the pattern of dragon and phoenix is expressed not only in swords with ring pommel but also in multiple metal relics or relics of different materials, which showed the essence of Baekje culture.