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Ottoman pala beset with coral and turquoises

An Ottoman coral studded pala

With gilt copper scabbard and multi-row twist-core blade.
Jian guard logo

Hūshǒu (護手)

Chinese for the handguard of a weapon.
Parang nabur logo

Parang nabur

Widely used but incorrect name for the parang beladah, a type of saber from the southern part of Kalimantan.
Parang nabur logo

Parang nabur with báitóng hilt

These sabers from Kalimantan exhibit a mix of European, Islamic, and local styles.
Late Qing jian logo

A fine late Qing jian

A step above the norm in quality for this period, with nicely pierced mounts.
Cantonese saber logo

Cantonese saber

With brass mounts and ray skin covered scabbard.
A southern dao logo

Southern Chinese saber

Of typical southern form with a very slender, pointy blade.
Niuweidao logo

An early form niúwěidāo

With good, layered blade, mounted in forged iron mounts.
Ratlam talwar

Fine dated talwar from Ratlam

With Mamluk style blade decor and inscriptions on both blade and hilt.
A large Bhutanese patag logo

Bhutanese sword in tribal scabbard

With early pierced iron pommel and a style of scabbard worn in Arunachal Pradesh.
Amdo sword logo

Unusual sword from Amdo

Exhibiting an interesting blend of Chinese and Tibetan features.
Tibetan silver hilted shortsword logo

Silver hilted Tibetan shortsword

Of typical form, but with an all-silver hilt that carries Chinese silver marks.
Early Indian khanda logo

Early Indian khanda

An early version of this iconic Indian weapon, with its characteristic swollen tip.
Early Indian sword

Early Indian fighting sword

With a recurved blade and elaborate bronze hilt decorated with chakras.
Edge logo

Dhār (धार्)

Nepali term for the edge of a blade.
Dutch chiseled iron smallsword logo

Dutch chiseled iron smallsword

Part of a group of rare late 17th century examples, representing the finest of its kind.
Jeyen Manchu saber tip logo

Jeyen

Manchu word for the tip of a saber.
Bheema Nayak saber logo

Saber of Bhima Nayak

A south Indian saber carrying the name "Sri Bhima Nayak".
Dhu alfaqar logo

Dhu alfaqar (ذو الفقار)

An Islamic legendary sword.
Large Mughal saber logo

Large Mughal saber

With Persian inspired blade in Hindu basket hilt, both of fine wootz.
Dai dha overall

Fine Chinese Shan dha

Entirely clad in silver and with a differentially heat treated blade.
Husa dha

Husa Valley dha

A type of dha made by the Chinese Shan in Husa Valley, Yunnan.
Hakim shahi

Hakim shāhī

A style of Indian sword hilt.
Talwar with true inlay hilt

Large wootz talwar

The hilt inlaid with silver, once blued for added contrast.
Talwar

Talwar (तलवार)

The curved sword of India.
Hakim khani logo

Hakim khāni

A style of Indian sword hilt
Karan shahi hilt

Karan shāhī

A style of Indian sword hilt
Mindan dha

A Mindan / Yamethin dha

With fine overlaid blade this area was known for.
Large Shan dha

Large Shan dha

With silver-clad scabbard executed in their typical style.
Stone pommel dha

Mindan dha with agate pommel

Its blade portraying the story of one of the previous lives of Guatama Buddha.
Late Qing jian

Late Qing jian

A typical example, complete with lacquered scabbard.
Iron mounted republican jian

Late iron mounted jian

A rarer configuration, normally mounted with brass in this period. With a chrome-plated blade.
Militia dao

Ming militia dao

From the Ming-Qing transition period, with many typical Ming features.
Qing militia jian

Seven stars militia jian

A short, stout Chinese straightsword of a type used by village defenses across the empire.
Hui dadao

Chinese Hui sword

A peculiar Chinese dadao with markings attributing it to a Hui army or battallion.
Dated 1928 dha

Burmese dha dated 1928

A nice example that can serve as a benchmark to help date others.
Dha shay

Dha shay

A name for the long Burmese dha.
Linkin dha

Linkin dha

Colonial British name A type of dha used by various tribes in northern Burma.
truong dao

Trường đao (長刀)

A large Vietnamese type of falchion sword.
Tibetan sword

Tibetan shortsword from Ladakh

With elaborately pierced and chased silver scabbard.
Ban sword logo

Sikkim "ban" sword

With finer forge folded blade than most of its type.
Steel and Magic

Steel and Magic in Solingen

Earlier this month I was at the opening of the exhibit "Steel and Magic.

Mamluk style sword in talwar hilt

Mamluk style sword in talwar hilt

Chiseled with a rare type of decor on the base, and with two Islamic inscriptions.
Algerian yatagan

Fine Algerian yatağan

An exceptionally large example with silver-clad scabbard.
Qijiadao logo

Qijiadao in Vince Evans mounts

The 17th-century blade is mounted in fittings designed by Philip Tom and executed by Vince Evans some 20 years ago.
Sumbawa sword

A Sumbawa Kabeala

With broad silver-clad scabbard, worked entirely in repousse.
Finely forged kora

A finely forged kora

With very good pattern welded blade, complete with scabbard.
Dha-lwe

Dha-lwé

Burmese for a type of sword worn slung over the shoulder.
Ceremonial guom

Thanh gươm (劍)

Vietnamese for a ceremonial saber.
Republican dadao

1930's Republican dàdāo

Of the exact type seen in use by the famous 29th Route Army.