Qing military rattan shield production
Translation of a page from Qing regulations that describes the production of the Qing military rattan shield.
Mainsa dha
Term coined by Bell in 1907, describing a dha that by then was mainly of Chinese make.
Rare imperial xièzhì decorated quiver
Xièzhì are mythical animals and were the emblem of the Qing censorate.
Yidao guard
Exceptionally large pierced iron guard for a Chinese yidao; "virtuous saber".
Han Plain Red Banner saber
Southern Chinese saber made for a soldier under the Plain Red Banner.
Northern Wei shaffron
Silk horse mask from the Xianbei ruled dynasty which ruled northern China from 386 to 534 A.D.
Qing peidao with gold grooves
With fine 18th century blade that combines many stylistic features.
Jade bamboo hilted knife
With spinach green jade handle and carved buffalo horn scabbard.
Chinese ring pommeled knife
Of a type used by bandits, brigands, pirates, and the like.
Chinese tiěbiān mace
A Chinese "sword breaker" with the rarer, bamboo-sectioned rod.
Longquan jiàn by Qian Zi Hao
A Chinese shortsword made by a well-known Longquan maker.
Chinese fighting carrying pole
A heavily executed Chinese carrying pole that was used as a weapon.
Chinese demon head saber
Based on a Chinese military saber blade, with unusual horn demon hilt
Slender hudiedao pair
A classic example of the narrow military type, with brass guards.
Hudiedao set with scabbard
Classic pair of Southern Chinese butterfly swords.
Qing twistcore peidao
A fine twistcore blade in standard pattern Qing military mounts.
Chinese tiger shield
A large Chinese rattan shield called tengpai, used by special front-line troops.
Gilt duanjian with foreign blade
Unusual Chinese duanjian with fine gilt mounts and a blade of non-Chinese origin.
Chinese crescent spearhead
A robust and heavy example, crafted with care.
Signed Chinese rattan shield
This one has the early, peaked form and is signed by its maker.
Polished Sino-Vietnamese dagger
A heavy Sin-Vietnamese fighting knife, with recently polished blade.
Large Chinese hunting knife
With fine blade in recent polish. With resting scabbard.
Lìngjiàn (令箭) or "Command Arrow"
A special arrow used to prove one's authority.
Lóngyuān (龍渊)
The former name of Lóngquán, a famous sword-making town in China.
Good late Qing Longquan jian
With bat-shaped guard. A very high-quality example for the time period.
Eastern Tibetan or Yunnan zhibeidao
A simple piece, but with a nicely etched blade typical for the Tibetan / Sichuan borderlands.
Tibetan shortsword with pierced mounts
With characteristic pointy hairpin forged blade.
Sawasa style iron guard
Unusual piece with depiction of a foreign figure.
The saber of Manchu Wu Songlu
A standard pattern Qing military saber, but with the rare addition of a label in Manchu.
A large Qing dàdāo
Large and heavy example with the notable Umlauff provenance.
Jīnchuān shortsword
Jinchuan aborigines sword, the Qianlong emperor's name for this type of sword.
Tūnkǒu (吞口)
Literally "swallowing mouth", a collar piece often found on Chinese blades.
Pōdāo with dragon tūnkǒu
With a large iron guard and hard wooden shaft.
Chinese crescent tipped maces
A highly unusual set of paired maces with crescent tips.
Jūn Huǒ Jú-made shuāng shǒudāo
Produced in the ordnance factory in Zengbu, near Guangzhou.
Jūn Huǒ Jú (軍火局)
Name of a Chinese arms factory just east of Guangzhou, active 1875 onwards.
Jūn Huǒ Jú-made saber
Produced in the ordnance factory in Zengbu, near Guangzhou.
Chinese medium size jian
A heavy piece with a substantial blade, with smooth bronze mounts.
Double shortswords with belt hook
A classic set of Chinese double swords, complete with suspension and hook.
Chinese paired shortswords
Cantonese double swords with archaic dragon design mounts.
Duǎnjiàn (短劍)
The Chinese word for a short straightsword.
Early Chinese shortsword
A classic duanjian, but of somewhat earlier manufacture than most.
Shuāngjiàn with carved scabbard
A paired jian of fushou type, with carved hardwood scabbard.
Cast iron compass rose guard
A peculiar cast iron sword guard, probably from the South China Seas area.
Unusual Chinese saber
Built around an imported blade, with a human head shaped pommel.
The Qianlong emperor's dagger from Jinchuan
In this article, we will zoom into a shortsword or dagger that was obtained from the Jinchuan campaigns of 1747-1749 and 1771-1776.
Fine Tibetan gem studded dagger
A very rare type of dagger that originates from the borderlands of Eastern Tibet and Sichuan.
Lóngquán (龍泉)
A town in Zhejiang province, China, known as a sword making center.
A fine Yunnan Dai dagger
With characteristic bulb pommel and silver plating on hilt and scabbard.