falsified severed head
Historical term referring to a fake severed head, often used in the context of samurai warfare to claim a kill or deceive an enemy. Rare in modern usage outside historical or period fiction.
During the Warring States period, some people used falsified severed heads to fake battle achievements.
General term for a fake or counterfeit item; 贋首 is a specific historical instance of a fake object.
Standard kanji form using 贋 (counterfeit) and 首 (head/neck).
Variant using 偽 (false/fake), which is more common in modern Japanese for 'fake' but less specific to this historical term.
Compound of 贋 (にせ, 'counterfeit') and 首 (くび, 'head'). The reading にせくび follows standard rendaku rules. The term is historically associated with samurai culture and battlefield customs.