Open-faced scabbards

[JeffS]

Originally Posted by Sajen

Yes, here a Paiwan and a Rukai sword from Taiwan with open-faced scabbards.

I love the snake head profile on the top scabbard. As has been stated previously on this forum the snake could represent Deinagkistrodon Acutus, which has a common name of 100 Pace Viper. This snake has a very distinctive head profile with the narrowed nose which could be the inspiration for the Paiwan design . As an aside, Taiwan has exceptional snake diversity, we found 15 species and nearly 50 individuals in just a few days. Below is a picture of the 100 Pace Viper that we took.