Made in the famous Changxing workshop in Chengdu, which as the subject of Tan Danjiong's (T'an Tan-Chiung) "Investigative Report on Bow and Arrow Manufacture in Chengdu"
The Jianruiying was an elite division of the Qing dynasty military consisting of crack troops that were specially trained to cross rough terrain and overcome fortifications. In my introduction of the…
A reference list of antique Vietnamese swords and sabers I've had over time. I will periodically update it as more Vietnamese swords pass through my hands.Click the photos for their complete articles. Not all swords…
The Jianruiying were a small elite unit of specially selected Manchu soldiers under the Qing dynasty. They were trained to overcome rough terrain, obstacles, and rivers in order to commence special attacks…
The enthusiast of Indian arms and armor will sooner or later hear about the Bikanēr armory. A substantial part of the armory was sold in the late 20th century to a number of UK antique dealers, and pieces have been…
For long, "nanban tsuba" literally "Southern barbarian sword-guards" have been a catch-all classification for sword guards for Japanese swords (tsuba), that show foreign influence.
The differences between 雁毛刀 yanmaodao (goose-quill saber) and 柳葉刀 liuyedao ("willow-leaf saber") in blade shape can be, to the novice, quite subtle and hard to discern at first blush. However, by…
Among sabers of the Qing dynasty, we encounter two basic types of mountings:
1. fāngshì (方式) or "angular style"
2. yuánshì (圓式) or "rounded style".
Alternatively, these are called fāngzhuāng (…
Introduction
Historical references on Chinese saber types are scarce, and the information they provide scant. The most comprehensive Chinese military text is the massive Ming dynasty Wu Bei Zhi (武備志) or "…