Quote:
Originally Posted by Copycat
Hello Gavin,
The overall design of the first one looks like a tachi actually. However, he fishskin on the scabbard, the fittings and the hole in de hilt are similar to Chinese swords.
The overall design of the others are similar to a dao and jian.
Point is, the details or the combination of details makes it different.
Same for the saber of Jim. Your observations are details. A careless person might mistake this as a katana.
The visual essence of Korean swords varies greatly in my opinion and information or examples are rare.
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Hello Copycat,
Exactly, the point is the details. The observation of the details in context leads to a better understanding.
The one you refer to as like Chinese dao for example, it sat in a Japanese collection, the only Korean sword in a large important entirely Japanese collection. The owner even classified it as a type of Japanese sword. There are three different points of view where it was concerned, your's, his and mine... you could probably poll 1000 people and the balance of answer might all sway to China or Japan???
The visual essense I refer to is just that which you note, its own unique essense of cultural blends/influences that is Korea's own personal style.
Indeed a great deal of Korean swords are lost to time and occupation, yet many have survived and there are more out there than is thought of at face value.
The same is said for information, it is housed within Korean and other museums, EQUALLY importantly though, as was in the last year shared with me, there have been 9 publications specifically on the subject of Korean Weapons, Boots being the oldest.
Back to your sword though, and with consideration to the complexities of details that you are aware of, what specifically leads you to think/feel that it maybe a Korean sword?