Description A rather unusual Vi
Overall length
Sheathed 34.3 cm
Knife 30.7 cm
Blade length
19.3 cm
Blade thickness
Base 7.5 mm
Middle 5.5 mm
Blade width
Base 29 mm
Middle 26 mm
Weight without scabbard
261 grams
Point of balance
13 mm from hilt side of guard
Materials
Iron/steel, horn, brass, silver, copper, wood, leather, cotton
Origin
North Vietnam
Provenance
European antiques market
Description
A charming fighting knife from northern Vietnam. It is of a type that was also widely in use in southern China, but especially some of the detailing points towards Vietnam rather than China.
It has a thick blade with a straight spine and a curved edge. The blade's body is forge folded over a high carbon steel plate that is exposed at the edge.
The hilt is comprised of a carved piece of buffalo horn, ribbed for added grip, with two copper ferrules. The guard is a fairly thick piece of brass, chiseled with two monster heads, one on either side, as also seen in Nguyễn dynasty architecture. The pommel is a brass nut with facetted sides. Ferrules, guard, and pommel are further decorated with pieces of silver wire.
The piece comes complete with a wooden scabbard, covered with dark brown pigskin and still retaining its old red cotton tassel.
A very charming and unusual piece.
Called sung hoả mai in Vietnamese, they are based on the Indo-Portuguese system. This example has a baitong…
€1900,-
Constructed out of dense hardwood and with fine mother-of-pearl inlays in the Vietnamese fashion.
€2000,-
An outstanding example with very fine silver and moth-of-pearl work.
€3400,-
