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Sam Scelza




Location: USA
Joined: 10 Nov 2009

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PostPosted: Thu 16 Nov, 2017 8:05 pm    Post subject: Sword from the Terracotta Warrior Exhibit         Reply with quote

Hi everyone,

I recently went to the Terracotta Warrior Exhibit at the Franklin Institute and saw an interesting bronze sword (the only one there...).

What struck me was the two small holes in the tang, indicating that the pommel was riveted on it looks to me. I don't doubt this construction method, I had just never seen it before.

Does anyone know if this was common on Chinese, or Asian swords? Were there other kinds of swords that used this method?

-Sam



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William M




Location: Buckinghamshire , England
Joined: 01 Dec 2004
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PostPosted: Fri 17 Nov, 2017 12:35 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I think you only get this kind of fitting with Jade, which was used mostly with the bronze swords though continued to see use with high class swords in later years.
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Timo Nieminen




Location: Brisbane, Australia
Joined: 08 May 2009
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PostPosted: Fri 17 Nov, 2017 6:16 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

It isn't common with bronze jian - most flat tang jian I've seen photos of have unpierced tangs. Here is an iron or steel jian with a similar pommel attachment:

http://www.arscives.com/historysteel/china_sh...swords.htm

A jade pommel could be wired/tied through a hole in the tang, but can't be pinned/riveted directly:

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/42896

The swords with pommels most commonly pinned/riveted through the tang appear to be early Central Asian sabres (e.g., the Charlemagne sabre has a pinned/riveted pommel) and ring pommel swords of the 1st millenium AD. Ring pommel swords like this include Japanese, Korean, and Chinese examples, especially those with iron/steel blades and bronze pommel (but some iron pommels as well; these are often permanently riveted to the tang before the grip is installed), Central Asian examples, and some European examples (many of the Vimose ring pommels were attached like this; see https://www.tf.uni-kiel.de/matwis/amat/iss/kap_b/advanced/tb_3_3c.html for some examples).

There are also Chinese jian and dao with a different style of pinned/riveted pommel, with a full-width tang extending through the whole pommel, like the bottom dao in http://myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?p=282765#282765

"In addition to being efficient, all pole arms were quite nice to look at." - Cherney Berg, A hideous history of weapons, Collier 1963.
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William M




Location: Buckinghamshire , England
Joined: 01 Dec 2004
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Reading list: 7 books

Posts: 267

PostPosted: Fri 17 Nov, 2017 6:36 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Ah my mistake.. I was relying on the photos I have of bronze jian, which all have jade fittings.
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Timo Nieminen




Location: Brisbane, Australia
Joined: 08 May 2009
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PostPosted: Fri 17 Nov, 2017 2:41 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I don't know how pommels are attached to unpierced flat tang bronze jian. I guess the hilt is glued on, and the pommel (often jade) is wired/tied to the wooden hilt.
"In addition to being efficient, all pole arms were quite nice to look at." - Cherney Berg, A hideous history of weapons, Collier 1963.
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