# Communities > Antique Arms & Armour Community > Chinese, South-East Asia (CSEA) >  Book by Forbidden City Palace Museum, on Imperial Arms and Armour

## Thomas Chen

Hi guys

A new book titled 清宫武备 is published two months ago in August on the
Royal and Imperial arms and armour kept in Forbidden City Palace Museum
in Beijing. Published by the Commercial Press of HongKong, it gives extensive
views of the Imperial sabers and swords, armour, bows and arrows, muskets
and cannons etc. It is a groundbreaking book specifically on Qing Dynasty
arms and armour...

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## kevin.feng

fantastic!

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## Klas Larsson

> Published by the Commercial Press of HongKong, 
> it gives extensive views of the Imperial sabers and swords, armour, bows and arrows, muskets and cannons etc. 
> It is a groundbreaking book specifically on Qing Dynasty arms and armour...


Hi Tomas, Thanks for the information, this is very interesting, what a great book, seems like a must have, and so fine pictures! 
I wonder if you could give the title in pinyin, that may help in search for it. 
I came as far as Qing Gong and possibly Wu, and Bing?, if I am right, 
but this didn't help me in my search at Commercial Press website, and characters didn't give any hit either.

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## Landau Lau

http://www.cp1897.com.hk/product_inf...=9789620753596

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## Thomas Chen

Emperor Qianlong in ceremonial armour, with his saber, bow and arrows...

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## Richard Furrer

Hello All,
So..what does the book say about the blades/handles pictured on the cover?
Those all look like Moghul Indian handles to me.

Ric

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## Thomas Chen

> Hello All,
> So..what does the book say about the blades/handles pictured on the cover?
> Those all look like Moghul Indian handles to me.
> 
> Ric



Thanks for yout interest, Richard. These blades are indeed crafted with Indian style handles like this one below:

http://thomaschen.freewebspace.com/custom3.html

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## Manouchehr M.

Hi Thomas,

Many thanks.  where can I order this book?

Regards
Manouchehr

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## Thomas Chen

> Hi Thomas,
> 
> Many thanks.  where can I order this book?
> 
> Regards
> Manouchehr


Hi Manoucher

You can try ordering it from http://www.paragonbook.com/

Email to them this link and say that the publisher is the Commercial Press of HongKong...
http://www.cp1897.com.hk/product_inf...=9789620753596

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## Daniel Hu

Paragon books might be a better way to go. I tried ordering form HongKong press and was sent an email requesting more for shipping. They wanted a total of $400HK or about $50 usd for shipping alone. I canceled my order.

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## Nathaniel Hope

I just recently received my copy.  It is superb.  A definite must have.  The sections of the book are:  A grand military review, Hunting by Encircling the game, Helmet and Armour, Saddle and Saddle Blanket Bow & Arrow, Sabres and swords, And Firearms.

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## Klas Larsson

Paragon asks 95 usd (= 736 hkd) for it, just got an answer from them. 
They say the have ordered the book, and will have it at the end of next month. Expensive, but hopefully good book. 
And Commercials price is 420 hkd, but with 50 usd in shipping it may be the about the same either way. And 50 usd seems a bit high for shipping? 
Swords out of Hong Kong tend to be around 30-35 usd.
Nathaniel, could you maybe tell how much did you end up paying, including shipping? Did you get it from Commercial Press?

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## Nathaniel Hope

Klas,  A kind friend bought it in HK and shipped it to me...I had another book along with and it cost about $41 USD for shipping,

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## Klas Larsson

Thanks Nathaniel, 

So maybe the Hong Kong publisher still is the cheapest way to go.
They had some other interesting books to, as one about the Tai Ping rebellion in English. And Chinese history books by Jonathan Spence. 
Including this may help lower the total shipping cost, I must agree with Daniel that it's a bit on the expensive side.

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## Daniel Hu

Looks like $50 for shipping isn't too out of the ordinary, and I'm just being cheap. Can't wait to get it.

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## Ann Reagan

> Emperor Qianlong in ceremonial armour, with his saber, bow and arrows...[/IMG]


Thomas, I noticed the sword is worn in this picture with the handle to the rear.  Could you please comment on how/why the blade might be worn this way, and what periods might have used a sword hung in this way?

The only other time I have seen a sword worn this way was by some period reenactors at Gyangbukgan (Gyangbuk Palace, 1397 Choseon Dynasty, Korea), but I honestly don't know if this was an accurate portrayal for the period or not. 

Thank you.

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## Leighton T.

Not Thomas, but I always figured that the sword is worn that way because wearing it to the front would obstruct the bow, which is the primary weapon.  Wearing it facing backwards would allow a draw from the rear.  I think.  Anyway, don't have a dao anymore, can't test the theory.




> Thomas, I noticed the sword is worn in this picture with the handle to the rear.  Could you please comment on how/why the blade might be worn this way, and what periods might have used a sword hung in this way?
> 
> The only other time I have seen a sword worn this way was by some period reenactors at Gyangbukgan (Gyangbuk Palace, 1397 Choseon Dynasty, Korea), but I honestly don't know if this was an accurate portrayal for the period or not. 
> 
> Thank you.

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## Klas Larsson

This is the  way the dao was worn in Manchu period, at least by military men, (not sure about  earlier  periods maybe Tomas can comment on that), with or without a bow.
Period painting show this, in all kinds of situations. To draw you grab and turn the scabbard, done in an instant, and then you will draw edge up. 
But the scabbard always must be grabbed for a draw, and its pushed back at the same time, making the draw a little faster and more efficient.

Trying the rear draw it doesn't make much sense, but with the bow it does, or else the dao may be caught in the bow, and also cause damage to it.

There was a thread on this subject on the old forum, long and informative.

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## Richard Furrer

Hello All,
I just received this book from Paragon $108 including shipping (I ordered it yesturday and it came today).
Pages 129-182 are swords and dagger/knives. 

The photos and paper are high quality, but as a blade guy I am less than impressed. Many non-Chinese blades and hilts..or what I judge as Moghul. 
Close-ups of blades would be good and I wish all had been out of the scabbards, but they are not.

I'm glad I have the book, but more blades would have been better...and since I only read English a translation would be good as well, but I can hardly fault a Forbidden City book for being in Chinese.

Ric

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## josh stout

Mogul influence is one of the defining characteristics of the Qinglong era.  It is one of the more reliable way to date things, though, as with many Chinese styles it can be found before and after the period it is usually associated with.  The Mogul handles and fullers were particularly popular for military blades, but the Mogul style daggers did not seem to make it out of the court setting.

The Mogul style was widely copied at the time.  You can see a village made one of mine in this link:

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j6...i/DSC_1052.jpg

I like the straight dao shown at the beginning of the thread with a combination of Tibetan and Chinese influence.

Klas is correct about the ubiquitous portrayal of dao carried handle backward and flipped for an edge up draw.  There is also the more rare behind the back draw, and a backhand draw with the left hand.  

Regular soldiers on foot seem to have often simply left their scabbards at home and carried their dao.
Josh

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## Shaun Heenan

There are some nice pictures of bows from that time, on this page  http://www.chinese-swords-guide.com/...e-archery.html

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## T.Lee

The book is great and I also bought it from Paragon in Chicago, IL.!

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