Small Chinese Jian questions

Gavin Nugent · 1st October 2011, 02:53 PM

Crikeys mate, watch out that don't crawl anywhere you don't want it too.

The short Jian is documented all the way back to the early 1400s and likely further when you consider the similar size although differing types are known from the warring states period it does go back a long way...so moving right along, these pieces are capable fighters but the type you show is as I understand it from the mid 1800s and was of a votive nature. I can not remember the museum off hand but there is a provenanced example in a SEA museum from this time and the type was said to be gifts from the courts to dignitaries and the like. I have a period line drawing from a book dated 1895 that shows a Taoist priest using one of similar size....in a nut shell they are ritual swords and gifts for people of some standing.

Gav

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1st October 2011, 02:53 PM	#2
Gavin Nugent Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 2,818	Crikeys mate, watch out that don't crawl anywhere you don't want it too. The short Jian is documented all the way back to the early 1400s and likely further when you consider the similar size although differing types are known from the warring states period it does go back a long way...so moving right along, these pieces are capable fighters but the type you show is as I understand it from the mid 1800s and was of a votive nature. I can not remember the museum off hand but there is a provenanced example in a SEA museum from this time and the type was said to be gifts from the courts to dignitaries and the like. I have a period line drawing from a book dated 1895 that shows a Taoist priest using one of similar size....in a nut shell they are ritual swords and gifts for people of some standing. Gav