A really attractive and interesting small sword!
I have always been puzzled by the Aylward (1945, p.57) entries about Tonquinese swords which are supposed to be black 'shakudo' bronze. This is alloy of copper, (red copper etc) treated to nearly black. This seems to have been a Japanese process . The Dutch were the only Europeans permitted to trade in Japan from 1638+ at Dejima (near Nagasaki).
What puzzles me is that they refer to Tonquin, which is actually Viet Nam (north) and the Dutch supposedly left there in 1707, but continued in Peking.
It was said that the VOC brought Chinese artisans to the Netherlands and they produced European style hilts in what was known as "chinoserie' (=Chinese) in Amsterdam.
It seems of course this may be the 'chinoserie' style, and those apertures in the knuckleguard a very Chinese affectation for festooning with the colored yarn as noted.
While the trade noted was primarily porcelain, the other exotic goods and spices also brought such weaponry.
|