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Chinese stirrups

Ming period stirrups

Forged iron, swiveled stirrups with an entirely beaded frame and openwork platforms.
Tuanlian jian logo

Large Ming tuánliàn jiàn

A large piece dating from the Ming-Qing transition period of the 17th century.
Chinese tiebian logo

Chinese tiěbiān mace

A Chinese "sword breaker" with the rarer, bamboo-sectioned rod.
Garlic bulb mace logo

Chinese garlic mace

Called suàntóu gǔduǒ in Mandarin, with characteristic brass head.
Militia dao

Ming militia dao

From the Ming-Qing transition period, with many typical Ming features.
Antique Chinese spearhead

Ming style spearhead

A heavy, well-made piece that was probably a military issue.
Qijiadao logo

Qijiadao in Vince Evans mounts

The 17th-century blade is mounted in fittings designed by Philip Tom and executed by Vince Evans some 20 years ago.
Ming jian logo

Ming jian with chiseled mounts

A very early, full-length type, rarely seen with chiseled iron mounts.
Saber grooves

Dāo cáo (刀槽)

Qing Chinese for a groove in a saber blade.
Tibetan style pierced iron pommel plate logo

Tibetan style pierced saddle plate

With designs of four dragons in scrollwork around a "wish-granting-jewel"
Yutoudao logo

Yútóudāo (魚頭刀)

A subtype of Chinese sabers with a peaked spine.
Chinese forked mace logo

Chinese forked mace

A forked mace with cast ornament in the middle of the cross guard.
Antique Chinese changdao logo

An antique chángdāo

Its large blade is of ridged cross-section, inspired by the Japanese design.
Jian mace logo

Jiǎn (鐧)

A type of Chinese mace with a smooth rod.
Chinese saber with curved hilt

Early Chinese duǎndāo

With rare downward curving grip as seen on artwork of the 17th and 18th centuries.
Yanlingdao logo

Yànlíngdāo (雁翎刀)

A Chinese saber type that translates as "goose-feather saber".
Yanchidao logo

Yànchìdāo (雁翅刀)

Chinese saber type with a gently curved blade and clipped tip.
Liuyedao logo

Liǔyèdāo (柳葉刀)

A Chinese saber with a gentle curve.
Yanmaodao logo

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".
Dandao logo

Dāndāo (單刀)

Literally "single saber", it refers to any type of dāo used solely without shield or weapon in the other hand.
Huawengang logo

Huāwéngāng (花文鋼)

A type of pattern welding known in English as twist-core.
Ming yanchidao saber blade

Ming dynasty saber blade

Introduction

The Chinese saber comes in a great variety of curvatures, profiles, and with different combina

Antique miaodao logo

Antique Miaodao

Miaodao simply being a more recent name for the wodao.
A Chinese saber typology logo

A typology of Chinese sabers

Introduction

Historical references on Chinese saber types are scarce, and the information they provide scan

Ming dandao

Ming dandao

With rare raised backedge.