# Communities > Antique Arms & Armour Community > Chinese, South-East Asia (CSEA) >  A Discovery of Han Dynasty Ring Pommel Sword

## kevin.feng

This is an exercise done sponsored by Shanxi Antique Sword Collection & Research Committee of China

The blade was found in Duan River in Guangxi province. It is 120cm long and 1cm thick. The condition is as the picture shows. The blade is considered as typical Han Ring Pommel sword by SASCRC.

I invited Mr Yan who is the number one antique sword polisher in China mainland. It took about 4months to complete one side of polishing. According to the suggestion from museum professional researchers, they suggest keep the other side origional situation and not to polish.

So of the scientific studies are in Chinese. Terrible sorry I may not translate due to my poor English.

Apperciate for any input and comments.

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## kevin.feng

ring pommel head

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## kevin.feng

we can still see some trail of the hilt-rope

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## kevin.feng

we had carefully test to prove the blade is still in a good steel condition which can afford a thorough polish

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## kevin.feng

thick~

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## kevin.feng

it's been lying under the river more than thousand years

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## kevin.feng

hold the blade, people would be wonder how ancient people made up this long thick folded heavy sword? And you can feel the blade is telling a long long history of itself ;-)

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## kevin.feng

with such ferocious sword in hand, you wont fear to anybody no matter what kind weapon your enemy carries thousand years ago  :Big Grin:  :Big Grin:

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## kevin.feng

allow me to take a breath ;-)

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## Remy B

What do you mean, this is freshly polished? *scritch head*

Bad@ss antique!

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## kevin.feng

heheh, not yet posted.... so far, it is the origional situation

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## Remy B

Then, wouldnt it be better to polish it on both sides??? *scritch head again*

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## Chris Fields

Looking forward to seeing pics of the polished side. I would assume they leave the other side unpolished as a display for the museum that holds it.

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## kevin.feng

Chris, you are absolutely right.... there are two reason those professional researchers suggested not to polish the other side

1. retain part of the blade the origional situation, so the people can know the history thru that 2000yr old window (also for futher study)

2. typically, museum will put a mirror behind the blade to show the un-plolished side.  That' an interesting historical contracry look. :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

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## Bennison N

Hi Kevin,

Were you saying before that there are studies available on this sword for reading? I can read Chinese, and if possible would love to take a look.

She's very long, even by Han Dynasty standards, isn't she? 120cm... That would come up to at least the neck, and certainly the shoulders, standing side by side to most Han Dynasty men. It must be a very interesting technique for use.

I'm also interested in that point on her. Do you know of any other examples like that? I love Han Dynasty swords... I use a replica Han Jian at 102cm for my practice... but I've never seen a Ring Pommeled Han Dynasty period long sword with a point like that on a thinner blade like that before.

If you can get me the study to read, the dimensions and show me the polished side, I might have a replica made.

Keep the excellent pics coming, mate!

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## josh stout

I also wonder about the tip.  It doesn't have the sharp angles like a Tang dynasty tip, but it also does not have the little "beak" at the tip that I have seen on what I think are Han things.  It looks like the tip may be an example of what turned into the Tang style later.  It is like what one sees on Tibetan dao, which are also considered Tang style.  

Also like Tibetan swords it looks like hard steel was put on the back as well as the edge.  I am looking forward to seeing what details come out in polishing.

It would be very interesting to carbon date it if the museum has a laboratory or connections to one.  There are new carbon dating techniques that can be done on a little bit of rust scraped off.  

Josh

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## kevin.feng

I am out of town these days and hv limited Internet access...... here is a link for your reference :Wink: 
http://bbs.hl365.net/viewthread.php?...D9%B5%B6%D5%AB

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