Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - 19thc Chinese naval dao

Jim McDougall · 13th May 2023, 05:05 PM

This is an interesting sword, and it would be hard to assert any specific classification or even period for that matter. The character of the hilt and distinctive down turned quillon and D guard knucklebow suggest Chinese swords/knives that were common among the 'river pirates' as Capn Mark has noted.
These were actually Chinese martial artists who were in effect acting as body guards and security forces in commerce movement in trade networks via the waterways into the ports. In the endless glossary of 'collectors terms' many sets of paired knives often in this hilt style are termed 'butterfly knives'.

While this simple hilt form was not confined to these, the general form was widely applied to Chinese knives and swords from late 17th century into the 20th, so again, hard to confine classification specifically.

These Chinese martial artists who were as noted, often part of companies or agencies , much in the manner of 'privateers', in times of unemployment they resorted to 'private enterprise' (= piracy).

Just as with pirates in the broad sense, they often 'confiscated' weapons along with materials, so the spectrum of weapons forms used by them is pretty much anybody's guess without exact provenance.

It seems most Chinese edged weapons are deemed of the "Boxer Rebellion" period in 1900, however many could be later as US presence was well known especially in the rivers into 1920s (Steve McQueen, "The Sand Pebbles").

I have an example of a ring pommel 'da dao' from the 'Eight Trigram Rebellion' (1814) which shows the general form of these kinds of swords used by martial artists then, and well through the 19th c. At the time of the 'Boxer Rebellion' (=martial artists) there were constant performances by martial artists intended to instill fear in the western intruders.

A panoply of these forms from the 2009 discussion we had here on 'butterfly knives' with Gav Nugent. The image of the Chinese vessels casually known by the west as 'junks'.
One of the street performances noted, many during Boxer times were much more graphic and terrifying.
My BaGwa Da Dao with the Eight Trigram device, also with patriotic White Lotus type invocations including 'kill demons' etc.

13th May 2023, 05:05 PM	#14
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,760	This is an interesting sword, and it would be hard to assert any specific classification or even period for that matter. The character of the hilt and distinctive down turned quillon and D guard knucklebow suggest Chinese swords/knives that were common among the 'river pirates' as Capn Mark has noted. These were actually Chinese martial artists who were in effect acting as body guards and security forces in commerce movement in trade networks via the waterways into the ports. In the endless glossary of 'collectors terms' many sets of paired knives often in this hilt style are termed 'butterfly knives'. While this simple hilt form was not confined to these, the general form was widely applied to Chinese knives and swords from late 17th century into the 20th, so again, hard to confine classification specifically. These Chinese martial artists who were as noted, often part of companies or agencies , much in the manner of 'privateers', in times of unemployment they resorted to 'private enterprise' (= piracy). Just as with pirates in the broad sense, they often 'confiscated' weapons along with materials, so the spectrum of weapons forms used by them is pretty much anybody's guess without exact provenance. It seems most Chinese edged weapons are deemed of the "Boxer Rebellion" period in 1900, however many could be later as US presence was well known especially in the rivers into 1920s (Steve McQueen, "The Sand Pebbles"). I have an example of a ring pommel 'da dao' from the 'Eight Trigram Rebellion' (1814) which shows the general form of these kinds of swords used by martial artists then, and well through the 19th c. At the time of the 'Boxer Rebellion' (=martial artists) there were constant performances by martial artists intended to instill fear in the western intruders. A panoply of these forms from the 2009 discussion we had here on 'butterfly knives' with Gav Nugent. The image of the Chinese vessels casually known by the west as 'junks'. One of the street performances noted, many during Boxer times were much more graphic and terrifying. My BaGwa Da Dao with the Eight Trigram device, also with patriotic White Lotus type invocations including 'kill demons' etc. Attached Images Last edited by Jim McDougall; 13th May 2023 at 05:22 PM.