Higher-end Han dynasty jian in China sometimes have jade fittings, and at least one surviving antique has wooden hilt furniture. Are there any examples of this outside of the Han dynasty context?

Check out this thread: http://myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=3101

:)

I might point out that there are a number of bronze swords from Mycenaean Greece with stone pommels, including marble and maybe alabaster? I've seen one hilt plate (grip and guard) that look like stone as well, but there was no description visible so I'm not sure. Lots of ivory and bone hilt pieces survive, and wood was quite common right through the Classical and Roman eras.

Matthew

If garnets count, then there is some migration period swords from Scandinavia and Wester europe that fits the bill.

Royal Armoury Leeds has several stone and rock crystal pommels in its reserve room collection (or did in 2008). I found them interesting, because I don't know how functional they would be, or how vulnerable. I could see them shattering if dropped or hit. Obviously not as heavy as solid brass, bronze or iron ones would be, but considering many of those big medieval pommels were hollow anyhow, the stone ones could be about the same mass.

I recommend contacting Bob Woosnam-Savage if you want to know more; I don't know if RA Leeds is open or not currently, but worth trying.

Wood has been the common hilt material in Europe from the Bronze Age until the Carolingian / Viking Age.

Even in the Viking Age, several swords were made with wood or antler fittings in styles similar to the iron versions.

Stone, is another matter. In the Middle East, jade continued to be a popular material for high status decorative hilts, but outside the Middle East, I don't think it was ever very popular.

I would suppose that wood, horn, antler etc. are more logical to use for hilts. Not only are these materials generally common and cheap, but they are also good for absorbing shocks.

Stone seems like a less useful material and generally used for decoration on high status swords.

Thanks everyone for the feedback! I didn't previously know about stone or jewel pommels, and it is nice to learn new things!