Jian Id help needed
 

Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone had any information on this particular Jian?

It is interesting how similar the guard looks to a Japanese tsuba. Any info or better pics of this particular sword or similar would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Jason

Where did you get those pics?

Jason,

The pictures posted are from this article...which provides some information...if you need more I would email the author, Philip Tom.

http://www.sevenstarstrading.com/html/articles/art.html

I saved them a while ago into a folder of Jian styles I like. I found them via google images.

THanks Nathaniel and Gav for sending the links of the articles.

Jian with saber-type handguards
 

This sword is one of a small number of jian, dating from the Ming through Qing Dynasties, with flat, discoid guards patterned after those characteristic of peidao (sabers). Many of these rare forms are sumptuously-fitted weapons, perhaps the most well known is one with gilt bronze fittings, attributed to the Qianlong Emperor, now in the Musee de l'Armee, Paris. Occasionally one encounters a heavy example of rustic manufacture, with very simple, village-made iron fittings, put together during the 19h cent., sometimes with a much earlier blade, others having a completely "home-made" appearance.

Many thanks Philip!

You wouldn't perchance have any close ups of the tsuba (sorry I don't have correct knowledge of Chinese swords nomenclature)

Cheers

Jason

Hi, Jason
Sorry I don't have pics of this, the sword is in a private collection and I don't have access to it. Those flat plate-like guards are called "pan hushou" (plate/platter protect hand is the literal translation).

THanks for the info Philip.

As Phillip mentioned the disk guards are slightly more common on more rustic examples. I have two, one put together in the 19th c. with an older blade. The other is likely older, and the guard was made at the same time as the blade. The 19th c. version does not have a tapering handle like most jian, but was put together like a dao with a jian blade, while the older one has a tapering handle more typical of jian.

Even among rustic weapons the disk guards are not common. I would estimate their frequency at less than one in a hundred. Interestingly, dao with jian type guards are fairly common. On some, such as the dadao, it is somewhat unusual to find a disk guard.

I suspect that the extra protection of a disk guard was not worth the pain of having it digging into the person carrying it. So we rarely see it on dadao carried on the back, rarely on jian carried around as status items, and more commonly on rustic jian that were probably not carried on a regular basis.

The disk guards are almost ubiquitous on military dao where presumably the extra protection was worth the added effort.
Josh

Since someone mentioned the seven stars trading company: I believe this is the same sword as shown in more detail and discussed at the end of this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUmT1SN8J04&t=858s

thank you Werecow, I appreciate you!

Any time, Joe. My experience with original antiques is still limited but I've watched literally thousands of youtube videos about swords; good to know it's useful for someone besides me for once. :D