Dāo (刀)
Used to describe a wide variety of single-edged tools and weapons.
Early Chinese duǎndāo
With rare downward curving grip as seen on artwork of the 17th and 18th centuries.
Chinese bronze mace (tóngjiǎn)
With large dragon head collar piece.
Republican period fighting jian
A very nice and complete example, circa 1920's-30's.
Pī jiàn (鈚箭)
Chinese name for a class of broadhead arrows. (Alternative spelling using an archaic character).
Pī jiàn (披箭)
Chinese name for a class of broadhead arrows.
Silin dacungga kūwaran
An elite light unit under the Qing dynasty Eight Banners.
Jiànruìyíng (健銳營)
An elite unit under the Qing dynasty Eight Banners, comparable to today's special forces.
Niru
Manchu word for a class of broadhead arrows, a military "company", or captain.
A rare Qing bow
With translucent horn bellies glued on red pigment.
Hǔqiāngyíng（虎槍營）
An elite unit of Qing imperial guardsmen that accompanied the emperor into dangerous hunting grounds.
Tiger spear (Qing)
The "tiger spear" was a large hunting spear in use by the Qing dynasty Tiger spear division.
Hǔqiāng（虎槍）
A large hunting spear in use by the Qing dynasty Tiger spear division.
Baktong
Cantonese for báitóng.
Báitóng (白銅)
An alloy of copper, nickel, and zinc used among others for sword parts.
Tāotiè (饕餮)
Tāotiè (饕餮) is a mythical creature that is used as a decorative element.
Yànlíngdāo (雁翎刀)
A Chinese saber type that translates as "goose-feather saber".
Yànchìdāo (雁翅刀)
Chinese saber type with a gently curved blade and clipped tip.
Liǔyèdāo (柳葉刀)
A Chinese saber with a gentle curve.
Yànmáodāo (雁毛刀)
A Chinese saber type with a mainly straight blade that curves up at the tip. It literally means "goose-quill-saber".
Dāndāo (單刀)
Literally "single saber", it refers to any type of dāo used solely without shield or weapon in the other hand.
Beri
Manchu word for "bow".
Huāwéngāng (花文鋼)
A type of pattern welding known in English as twist-core.
A rare Jinchuan sword
A royal sword, probably from the Wasi kingdom in present-day Sichuan province.
Measurements of a Manchu bow
Made in the famous Changxing workshop in Chengdu, which as the subject of Tan Danjiong's (T'an Tan-Chiung) "Investigative Report on Bow and Arrow Manufacture in Chengdu"
A Chinese bow by Changxing
Rare extant work of a famous workshop in Chengdu.
A 17th century Manchu saber
A massive 17th century saber blade with markings in Manchu and Chinese.
Chinese crescent moon weapons
Unusual set of paired Chinese maces of good workmanship.
Niuweidao with Guangxu mark
Dated 1895. Large and heavy, a quality piece.
Niúwěidāo (牛尾刀)
A late form of Chinese saber with a pronounced widening at the tip.
Glossary of Chinese saber terminology
An overview of Chinese saber terminology as found in Chinese texts.
An exceptionally large dadao
With a wide clipped tip with notched upper edge.
Jianruiying (2); weapons and equipment
The Jianruiying was an elite division of the Qing dynasty military consisting of crack troops that were spe
Antique wide bladed hudiedao
Introduction
The hudiedao (蝴蝶刀), are a type of double swords peculiar to the port ci
Village militia dadao
Description
A large Chinese double handed falchion of a form that is both related to the niuweid
A Chinese hook sword
A rather well-made example of its type.
A Yi / Lolo sword
Introduction
The Yi or Nuosuo people are known as Lolo in early Western ethnographic writings.
Chinese jade handled dagger
It has a solid pale green jade hilt that is fitted to a silver collar-piece.
Chinese double shortswords
A good set of the first half of the 19th century, with large and rather heavy forge folded blades.
Antique Chinese saber fittings
Description
An antique set of scabbard fittings for a Chinese saber, probably second half of the 18th centu
Rare iconographic Mongolian style knife
Introduction
Many Mongols, the Khalkas in particular, had close ties with the Manchu ruling elite during th
Antique Chinese jian
A fine Chinese straightsword blade, of typical Qing form with a rather wide profile.
Republican jian with etched blade
Description
A large and rather interesting Chinese jian dating from the Chinese Republic
Late Qing southern saber
With differential heat-treatment, creating a cloudy crystalline effect along the edge.
Republican duanjian with good blade
Description
An unusual piece: Jian with these mountings are usually of the long type, often with a soft ste
Chinese openwork (loukong) saber guard
The archetypical Chinese sword guard of the 17th century.
Ancient Ba-Shu dagger
From approximately the 5th to 3rd century B.C.
Antique Chinese bronze mace
Introduction
Chinese civilian martial artists used a wide variety of weapons.
Chinese trousse with inlaid iron mounts
Background
Sets with a knife and chopsticks -and sometimes some other utensils- were common all over the Qi