Circa 1930 Chinese copy of a ken?

josh stout · 3rd June 2011, 04:19 AM

I have not seen one like this before, but my guess is it is a Chinese copy of a Japanese ken from the time of the occupation. It could actually be Japanese but I am not sure how to tell. To me it feels Chinese with very good workmanship of the sort that might have been for export to the Japanese market. . On the other hand it could be Korean

The wide blade is typical of Korean geom, as is the brass habaki/tonkou. I have not seen a ken outside of illustrations, where they often appear wielded by demons and gods. In such illustrations the sword itself appears to widen toward the tip, and similar ritual swords can be found in iconography from Nepal to Japan. However, this one has parallel tapering edges, and is beefy but balanced like a jian. The blade appears similar to another I have that I think is Korean. On the example it is difficult to see the overall blade construction; could I be seeing signs of heat treatment and three plate construction? Or is it just the way it was polished?
The blade vibrates nicely when I tap the handle, indicating a decent temper.
Josh

3rd June 2011, 04:19 AM	#1
josh stout Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 407	Circa 1930 Chinese copy of a ken? I have not seen one like this before, but my guess is it is a Chinese copy of a Japanese ken from the time of the occupation. It could actually be Japanese but I am not sure how to tell. To me it feels Chinese with very good workmanship of the sort that might have been for export to the Japanese market. . On the other hand it could be Korean The wide blade is typical of Korean geom, as is the brass habaki/tonkou. I have not seen a ken outside of illustrations, where they often appear wielded by demons and gods. In such illustrations the sword itself appears to widen toward the tip, and similar ritual swords can be found in iconography from Nepal to Japan. However, this one has parallel tapering edges, and is beefy but balanced like a jian. The blade appears similar to another I have that I think is Korean. On the example it is difficult to see the overall blade construction; could I be seeing signs of heat treatment and three plate construction? Or is it just the way it was polished? The blade vibrates nicely when I tap the handle, indicating a decent temper. Josh Attached Images Last edited by josh stout; 3rd June 2011 at 02:23 PM.