Qing military rattan shield production
Translation of a page from Qing regulations that describes the production of the Qing military rattan shield.
Asian arms in Dutch master paintings
Dutch masters' fascination with exotic Asian wares shown in a series of paintings.
Qing twistcore peidao
A fine twistcore blade in standard pattern Qing military mounts.
Korean bowcase & quiver
A very rare matching set of Korean bowcase and quiver.
Korean horn bow set
An old Korean hornbow from the 50s or 60s with string and arrows.
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.
NBTHK sword papers
An introduction to NBTHK Japanese sword certifications and rankings.
Winged dragon tsuba
A fine and unusually large tsuba. Attributed to Hizen by the NBTHK.
Chinese demon head saber
Based on a Chinese military saber blade, with unusual horn demon hilt
Northern Wei shaffron
Silk horse mask from the Xianbei ruled dynasty which ruled northern China from 386 to 534 A.D.
Kunikiyo wakizashi, Yamano test cut
A wakizashi by master Kunikiyo, tested by the most famous sword tester of 17th century Japan.
Kunikiyo (國清)
A line of Japanese swordsmiths working in Echizen.
Fine Kinai dragon tsuba
Made by the Kinai group of Echizen, who originated as horimono carvers.
Bizen Sukesada
A group of sword makers in Bizen, Japan, active in the Muromachi period.
Yosōzaemon jo Sukesada (与三左衛門尉祐定)
A Japanese swordsmith from Osafune, Bizen, who lived from 1466-1542.
Sukesada uchigatana made August 1523
With a sayagaki by Honma sensei attributing it to Yosozaemon.
Jūmonji yari (hozon)
A fine cross-shaped yari made by Enju Nobakatsu, with NBTHK Hozon papers.
Yari (槍)
Japanese word for spear or spearhead
Kusabi-hi (楔樋)
Japanese term for an irregular hamon sometimes found on spearheads
Yajirigata yari (鏃形槍)
Japanese for arrowhead-shaped spearhead
Yari with kusabi-hi
Large Japanese spearhead with red lacquered zig-zag groove. Signed Mitsuhiro.
Suneate with Dutch leather
A pair of Samurai shin protectors finished with Dutch "goudleer".
Handachi mounted wakizashi
With Nanban-style guard and kozuka. Signed Fujiwara Hisayoshi.
Fine Taiwanese chieftain's sword
A very ornate example worn by chieftains of the Rukai and Paiwan tribes of Southern Taiwan.
Golden kabuto with iron menpo
A striking battle helmet from the Momoyama period of 1568-1600 A.D.
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.
Uchigatana (打刀)
Japanese word for a single-handed curved sword, the predecessor of the katana.
Studded Eastern Tibetan dagger
Of Kham area regional style, with a grip studded with turquoises and corals.
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.
Tibetan bowcase & quiver
A matched set of lacquered leather, finely decorated with gradient colors and black and gold detailing.
Signed nanban style ship tsuba
Signed by an artist named Kanesada from Higo.
Seiryūken Eiju dragon tsuba
Tetsugendo school. Round plate with discoid cross-section, chiseled with dragons.
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.
Hamon (刃文)
Japanese term for the temperline on a blade, typically achieved by differential heat treatment.
Peony karakusa tsuba
Executed in "nanban style" openwork with chiseled and gold-encrusted peonies.
Sawasa style iron guard
Unusual piece with depiction of a foreign figure.
Iron chrysanthemum tsuba
Large example with gold and silver overlay.
Unusual dragon gate guard
Asian sword guard of unknown origin, modified in Japan.
Japanese tsuba in Canton style
Also known as Kwanto-gata, with two facing dragon chasing a pearl.
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.
Daruma tsuba
A peculiar tsuba with a depiction of Bodhidharma and two dragon chasing a pearl.
Wan-gata tsuba by Kunihiro
Its outer surface is decorated with interlocking swastikas and family crests.