Chinese Jian

[josh stout]

I think you have a very nice find, but there are a few issues and questions that will have to wait until you have it in hand. The Yazi guard is typical in form, but usually associated with more decorated fittings. Considering the somewhat crude finish on it, it may be a later replacement. I can't tell if the blade is truly pattern welded. That is the big question. The lines I see, make me suspicious, but I just bought one with a very similar look to the pattern and it was genuine. The blade does not appear to have been used after being joined with the fittings. Points that sharp are rare on antiques, but may indicate a sword kept in exceptionally good condition, or that the blade was reshaped. If it was reshaped I would guess it was done at the same time as it was put together with the fittings.

The yellow paint on the fittings is typical of period restorations, or may even be original. I have a jian and a dao where the blades and steel fittings were painted silver. Some nice early 20th C. Chinese blades were nickle plated over good steel. I have the feeling that paint was used in the same spirit, to make something nice and shiny and "modern" looking.

I recently bought a blade where I thought the stars were darkened like the ones shown, and they turned out to be missing. Brass does not usually get that dark especially when the steel is bright.

The fittings in general look very good with the rounded puffy look of originals. They seem like they would match an "ace of spades" guard better.

My guess is that this jian has been restored at least once in the very late Qing or early Republican period. The guard may be newer than that. If the blade is pattern welded, my guess is you have something very nice, and assuming the price was risk adjusted, I think you did very well. There is a chance that a non-pattern welded blade was used in the period restoration. That would be unfortunate.
Josh