Asian execution sword

[fearn]

Originally Posted by Spearcollector

Thanks everyone for the help to search information about the asian sword.
But I search for myself a little and I think the blade is the same type as a
"Ba Gua Dao" you can find it on the web. the blade has the same form but not the handle, this one is mutch older than all what you find on the web.
And thanks again for visiting our website, www.spearcollector.com
We collect African old weapons, shields and other tribal objects.

Hi Spearcollector,

It could be a "bagua dao," but I think there's a more likely possibility.

The bagua dao is best known from the baguazhang martial art, because one of the early masters used a dao that was twice the size of a normal dao.

That's all a bagua dao is. So far as I know (and I studied baguazhang for some time), the bagua dao originated in the Imperial palace, where some of the bagua masters trained the palace guard. Basically, there's a tradition in China that the higher up you are in the military, the bigger the blade that you wield, and so the imperial guard used the oversized, "Bagua" dao as a weapon. The size, rather than the shape, is the big thing about what makes a dao a "bagua" dao. That and modern marketing. I never saw these oversized swords marketed as baguadao in the US until after 2000, but that might be my ignorance showing.

However, based on the s guard and ring, I'd say that this is more likely a normal oxtail dao that was remounted for taiji practice.

I borrowed this image from http://www.ycgf.org/Articles/TJ_Dao/Taiji_Dao-1.html. Basically, a proper taiji dao also has a different blade than an oxtdail dao. However, I can easily see someone mounting an available blade on an approximately taiji-style hilt to make something to practice with, and I think that's what you've got here. The size of your blade is proper for a taiji dao to, as far as I know.

Best,

F

[Maskell]

Gentleman,

I found one in the pile today that has the coin/star inlays and apparently original to it, there were 3 inlays but one has falling out, this one seems similar to the one Spearcollector posted. The one I had seen last month that I suspected had been cleaned in the area of the inlay and their placement odd making the design look unbalanced. Any thoughts on this one?

Best,
Jerry
Maskell.