Far East, China, late Zhou Dynasty / Warring States period to early Han Dynasty, ca. 400 BCE to 200 CE. The narrow, straight blade is iron or possibly an early alloy of iron and carbon (steel); the guard is bronze; the remaining handle piece is an iron rod. The type of sword is called a jian, a double-edged straight sword that has been used in China for 2500 years. These are one-handed versions and range from 18 to 31 inches long. This sword represents a fascinating period in the history of sword making. Iron swords are known from China over 1000 years before this one was made, but they were made of iron ore from meteorites and were purely ceremonial because of their being made of incredibly rare material and being brittle. Towards the end of the late Zhou Dynasty, smelting technology developed and blacksmiths began to experiment with adding small quantities of carbon to iron swords to produce steel, a less brittle form of metal. A very similar weapon to this one was excavated from a mass grave of soldiers in an excavation at Yan Xiadu; a chemical analysis of the blade found that it was iron with 0.05% carbon. The blade would have been folded multiple times. The bronze guard of this particular sword sets it somewhat apart from the usual iron swords we see from this period, and probably represents a special attention to detail on the part of its makes and owner. Size: 20.25" L x 2" W (51.4 cm x 5.1 cm).

Provenance: Ex-Estate of John Piscopo. Mr. Piscopo was one of the largest collectors of ancient weapons in the US with a collection that spanned all cultures, all ages.

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#111144

Overall excellent, with encrustation as shown.