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Post by legacyofthesword on Dec 7, 2017 22:01:13 GMT
I usually think of something like this when I think of a dao:  However, it seems that these were developed later in Chinese history (introduced from the northern people around the 10th century AD, maybe). Before then, it seems, dao looked a lot like jian, only single edged, more like this:   Am I correct? Close to correct? Completely off the mark? |
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stormmaster
Member
I like viking/migration era swords
Posts: 7,714
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Post by stormmaster on Dec 7, 2017 22:16:56 GMT
Tang dynasty maybe?
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Post by Timo Nieminen on Dec 7, 2017 22:58:09 GMT
Am I correct? Close to correct? Completely off the mark? Basically correct. The curved dao becomes common during the Song, probably diffusion from Central Asia, where curved swords start appearing possibly as early as the 6th century. Artwork, and surviving examples. Song dao were very diverse. Short wide clip-point blades, long straight ring-pommel two-handed dao (with almost square tips), dao of the classic modern shape, etc. Straight dao with jian-like mounts continued to be made through to late Qing, if not later. The classic jian mounts became common during the Song as well. These appear to be a purely Chinese evolution, with earlier stages in the development present in China. See, e.g., the Sui Dynasty dao with a very jian-like blade profile and jian-like handle, fig 1-16 in books.google.com/books?id=eQjLjqo774QC The guard is still a Central Asian style sabre guard (as seen on Magyar sabres etc.), and the grip and pommel is one piece, but it's clearly on the way to becoming the classic modern jian hilt. (The same book has reasonable photos, though B&W, showing the evolution of the dao. A poor substitute photo-wise for "Iron and Steel Swords of China", but available, and the relevant chapter is available in the google books preview, and the text is in English.) |
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Post by legacyofthesword on Dec 8, 2017 5:54:55 GMT
Ah, good! So I was mostly right. Nice to know. Thanks!
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Post by jdm61 on Dec 26, 2017 6:36:41 GMT
Do we think that the curved dao/saber was developed alongside the "invention" of modern cavalry in Central Asia?
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Post by Timo Nieminen on Dec 26, 2017 7:17:09 GMT
What defines "modern cavalry"? The combination of stirrups, straight sword, lance, and armour all predates the curved sabre/dao, by a few hundred years, and first appears in China as far as we know (by 300AD at the latest, possibly as early as the Han Dynasty). Minus stirrups, all of that was together in Central Asia long before the curved sword.
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