The piece could also be Vietnamese; in that country knives and sabers were often hilted without an expanded metal pommel as was typical in China. The decoration is also typical of Vietnam as well as south China. I find the handle attachment to be a bit different than the usual Chinese treatment of these, which in my experience tends to feature a one-piece wooden or horn grip, half-round, with the tang entirely enclosed and peened on the butt end (invariably featuring a metal cap or knob) as in the case of a single knife. The result in many old pieces which have seen a lot of use is that the material on the flat side, being thin, has a tendency to crack. The riveted attachment seen here is a much simpler method, and quite durable.
|