Lot 34
FIRST TIME AT AUCTION!
China, 20th Century CE. Milky green antiquarian reproduction of an idealized form -- the scabbard slide, an object buried with Chinese nobles. These antiquarian pieces are fascinating because they were made by craftsmen who did not understand what the scabbard slide did -- they were only familiar with the type. This one is particularly fine, made of a milky green jade with a few grey highlights. At one end is an incised design based on an animal mask; knob grains on diagonals for the rest of the design. See the very similar example held by the Musée Guimet in Paris. Size: 2.8" L x 0.55" W (7.1 cm x 1.4 cm)
The scabbard slide was invented in the steppes of the southern Ural Mountains 2500 years ago, developed to manage the long iron equestrian sword. In China, nearly all of these objects are made from "jade" in the widest sense; elsewhere, there are also examples in bronze, lacquered wood, gold, and ivory. The purpose of these objects was forgotten until the 20th century, when some were scientifically excavated from undisturbed archaeological contexts. Now we know that the scabbard slide was attached, using silk thread or a thin strip of metal, to a flat or ribbed part of the scabbard, facing away from the body and generally at the balance point. A belt, usually of leather, would go through the slide. Trousdale (1975) suggests that the scabbard slide was the sole device used for suspending a sword in China for six hundred years. The swords that are buried with these jade ornaments are ceremonial or presentation swords and belong to noblemen -- in the Han Dynasty, for example, swords were worn by the Emperor and his officials in ceremonial or official dress.
c.f. Trousdale, W. 1975. The Long Sword and Scabbard Slide in Asia. Smithsonian Contributions to Anthropology, No. 17.
Provenance: ex-Piscopo Collection
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#113940
- Condition: Slight dirt encrustations and minor wear to the artwork.
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