Hǔyádāo (虎牙刀), "tiger tooth sword"
Mandarin name of a Chinese-edged weapon with a 1:1 hilt-blade ratio.
Large Ming tuánliàn jiàn
A large piece dating from the Ming-Qing transition period of the 17th century.
Back to antique Chinese arms
With Paris behind me, let's return to the genre that initially started my passion for antique arms.
Southern Bannermen Hǔyádāo
A pair, both with Banner markings, one Manchu and one Hanjun.
Silver overlaid pèidāo
A Qing officer saber with silver overlay on the blade.
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.
Qing military rattan shield production
Translation of a page from Qing regulations that describes the production of the Qing military rattan shield.
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.
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.