Lot 55
**First Time At Auction**
China, Warring States Period, 475 to 221 BCE. An impressive sword, cast in a single piece, with a long, straight blade with a very shallow, almost undetectable ridge. It has a simple, diamond-shaped guard, a thin handle with two discs that would have had leather wrapped around them, and a broad, round pommel with a space to insert a jewel or some other decorative element (we know of examples with turquoise set into the pommel). Size: 18" L x 1.8" W (45.7 cm x 4.6 cm)
The type of sword is called a jian, a double-edged straight sword that has been used in China for 2500 years. This blade was made during a time of flux in Chinese society, when kingdoms and warlords traded land constantly, and finely made weapons such as this one were signs of prestige. It was also a time of transition in weapon technology, as Chinese craftsmen refined the methods of iron smelting and began to make iron (steel) swords, which were preferable in battle to bronze ones - but bronze remained a valuable material, used in ceremonial and funerary weapons. The patina on this example shows that it spent centuries alongside an iron item, probably another weapon, after it was buried with its owner.
Provenance: Ex-Private San Francisco, CA collection
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#120049
- Condition: The form of the blade and the handle are well-preserved. A repaired section to upper portion of blade, with heavy encrusted patina, including patina from iron weapons that it were probably deposited alongside. Scoring to repaired area of blade.
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| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $299 | $25 |
| $300 | $999 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $1,999 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $4,999 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $9,999 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $19,999 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $49,999 | $2,000 |
| $50,000 | $99,999 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $199,999 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 + | $25,000 |