An Ottoman coral studded pala
With gilt copper scabbard and multi-row twist-core blade.Hūshǒu (護手)
Chinese for the handguard of a weapon.Parang nabur
Widely used but incorrect name for the parang beladah, a type of saber from the southern part of Kalimantan.Parang nabur with báitóng hilt
These sabers from Kalimantan exhibit a mix of European, Islamic, and local styles.A fine late Qing jian
A step above the norm in quality for this period, with nicely pierced mounts.Cantonese saber
With brass mounts and ray skin covered scabbard.Southern Chinese saber
Of typical southern form with a very slender, pointy blade.An early form niúwěidāo
With good, layered blade, mounted in forged iron mounts.Fine dated talwar from Ratlam
With Mamluk style blade decor and inscriptions on both blade and hilt.Bhutanese sword in tribal scabbard
With early pierced iron pommel and a style of scabbard worn in Arunachal Pradesh.Unusual sword from Amdo
Exhibiting an interesting blend of Chinese and Tibetan features.Silver hilted Tibetan shortsword
Of typical form, but with an all-silver hilt that carries Chinese silver marks.Early Indian khanda
An early version of this iconic Indian weapon, with its characteristic swollen tip.Early Indian fighting sword
With a recurved blade and elaborate bronze hilt decorated with chakras.Dhār (धार्)
Nepali term for the edge of a blade.Dutch chiseled iron smallsword
Part of a group of rare late 17th century examples, representing the finest of its kind.Jeyen
Manchu word for the tip of a saber.Saber of Bhima Nayak
A south Indian saber carrying the name "Sri Bhima Nayak".Dhu alfaqar (ذو الفقار)
An Islamic legendary sword.Large Mughal saber
With Persian inspired blade in Hindu basket hilt, both of fine wootz.Fine Chinese Shan dha
Entirely clad in silver and with a differentially heat treated blade.Husa Valley dha
A type of dha made by the Chinese Shan in Husa Valley, Yunnan.Hakim shāhī
A style of Indian sword hilt.Large wootz talwar
The hilt inlaid with silver, once blued for added contrast.Talwar (तलवार)
The curved sword of India.Hakim khāni
A style of Indian sword hiltKaran shāhī
A style of Indian sword hiltA Mindan / Yamethin dha
With fine overlaid blade this area was known for.Large Shan dha
With silver-clad scabbard executed in their typical style.Mindan dha with agate pommel
Its blade portraying the story of one of the previous lives of Guatama Buddha.Late Qing jian
A typical example, complete with lacquered scabbard.Late iron mounted jian
A rarer configuration, normally mounted with brass in this period. With a chrome-plated blade.Ming militia dao
From the Ming-Qing transition period, with many typical Ming features.Seven stars militia jian
A short, stout Chinese straightsword of a type used by village defenses across the empire.Chinese Hui sword
A peculiar Chinese dadao with markings attributing it to a Hui army or battallion.Burmese dha dated 1928
A nice example that can serve as a benchmark to help date others.Dha shay
A name for the long Burmese dha.Linkin dha
Colonial British name A type of dha used by various tribes in northern Burma.Trường đao (長刀)
A large Vietnamese type of falchion sword.Tibetan shortsword from Ladakh
With elaborately pierced and chased silver scabbard.Sikkim "ban" sword
With finer forge folded blade than most of its type.Steel and Magic in Solingen
Earlier this month I was at the opening of the exhibit "Steel and Magic.