Let me add that I have handled (and in fact) Bronze Age weapons from Luristan and Turkey, as wells Bronze Age artifacts from several cultural complexes. I have experience with real patina, and aside form the aforementioned isolated area of encrustation on the hilt, find the patina toe lacking and the "bronze disease" spots are far more more recent - of course, bronze disease can set in at any time.
Were bronze jian made more recently (aside from forgeries and fakes), say within the last few centuries? I just don't think this piece is necessarily old... But it is a quality piece, and seems far too nice for a fake.
I have a half hour to move on this...
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