Jīnchuān shortsword
Jinchuan aborigines sword, the Qianlong emperor's name for this type of sword.
Jūn Huǒ Jú-made shuāng shǒudāo
Produced in the ordnance factory in Zengbu, near Guangzhou.
Jūn Huǒ Jú-made saber
Produced in the ordnance factory in Zengbu, near Guangzhou.
A Murut parapat
The sword of the Murut headhunters of northern Borneo.
A streaked lin gin
These ornate versions with hairpin forged blades were worn by local royalty.
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.
Afghan sickle, called lohar
Of typical design, forged from one piece of iron, overlaid with brass on one side.
Lohar, Lor (لور), lawa-āor (لواور )
Pashto word for sickle.
Unusual Chinese saber
Built around an imported blade, with a human head shaped pommel.
Scientific analysis of two Southeast Asian swords
Using X-ray fluorescence and radiocarbon dating.
SE Asian dha (carbon 14 dated)
In excavated condition. With XRF and radiocarbon dating results.
An old dha (carbon 14 dated)
Found in excavated condition, published with results of c-14 and XRF analysis.
The Wiasemsky Montagnard dha
Collected by a Russian prince from the hill peoples of central Vietnam in 1892.
Large Atayal lalaw sword
A particularly nice example with 120 iron bands holding the blade.
Ainu sword in Japanese polish
Exceedingly rare Ainu sword. Comes in an old Japanese collection box.
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.
An excavated dha sword
With heavy blade and copper alloy hilt and lobed guard.
Acehnese peudeueng
With Hindu style basket hilt and local blade in European style.
Sukul nganga
A type of Batak sword hilt.
Kalasan
A type of Batak sword
A Karo Batak kalasan sword
An almost textbook example of a silver-plated kalasan.
Toba Batak sword
With cast-bronze guarding figure hilt.
Parapat
The sword of the Murut, headhunters of northern Borneo.
Pakayun
Commonly used name for the sword of the Muruts, headhunters of northern Borneo.
Glupa / Gloepa
Acehnese word for a golden crown at the base of swords and daggers.
Sikin panjang with golden crown
In original condition and period finish. Some losses, no repairs.
Lóngquán (龍泉)
A town in Zhejiang province, China, known as a sword making center.
Peudeueng
An Acehnese type of saber
Hindu basket hilt
A type of Indian closed hilt design.
Liuyedao with very good blade
Description
This Chinese liǔyèdāo is an excellent example of Chinese bladesmithing at its best.
Signed húdiédāo set
Of military style with long, narrow blades and ribbed hardwood grips.
Lóngquán Daoist shuāngjiàn
A very good set of Daoist straightswords in a single scabbard. There is a lot to see here, but I will start with the blades.
A sawasa hunting hanger
Sawasa is a copper-gold alloy that was patinated a "raven black" and then highlights were parcel-gilt.
A Chinese headman's sword
Of rare form with short but very heavy double-edged blade.
A rare chilseong-geom
A rare Korean saber with ray-skin grip and scabbard and silver overlaid iron mounts.
Unusual Indian zulfiqar sword
With bifurcated S-shaped blade in talwar hilt.
Qing fangshi soldier's saber
A rare surviving example of the simple military version of this style.
Wakizashi in Burmese hilt
An unusual cross-cultural mix, blending Burmese, Japanese and Indian parts.
Wootz talwar with pierced scabbard
With fine gold overlaid hilt, tight-grained wootz blade and elaborately pierced scabbard.
Shamshir (شمشیر)
Persian word for a deeply curved sword with narrow blade.
Shikārgar
Word used for an Indian sword with hunting scenes.
Talwar with Mamluk style blade
In Punjabi style hilt, with elaborately chiseled blade.
A Palembang sword with British blade
With finely carved horn hilt, silver mounts and reshaped European blade.
Kirach (کرچ)
Urdu