Small Chinese dao

[Philip]

Originally Posted by David R

I was informed some time ago that short Dao were carried by "Cloud Ladder" troops. Specialist siege assault soldiers who used scaling ladders.

This is not one of them. The specific pattern you are thinking of is a mid-18th cent. regulation style described and illustrated in the series of books on regulation equipment compiled by the Qianlong emperor ca 1759.

What we see here is probably a civilian weapon, and dating from the mid-19th cent. to ca. 1900. It's seen its share of wear and tear, but an honest old piece that retains its original configuration, some repairs but nothing missing, and it doesn't look like it's been monkeyed with.

The touristic pieces discussed elsewhere have other stylistic characteristics so are not to be confused with this piece.