I just couldn't wait!!!

[Gavin Nugent]

I just couldn't wait to post this Chinese Halberd.

I only won it about ten minutes ago and Fedex should have it to me in a week or so.

A lucky find I feel. When I first stumbled accross it, I did consult a learned collector of Chinese swords in Hong Kong to ask for the correct name of this piece, he called it a Ching Long Yan Yue dai dao, what this translates to in English I do not know but if anyone can help, it would be appreciated.
I am taken by the size and thickness of the blade, along with the unusual seven star inlays and the brass or gold??? inlay on the blade too, I do wonder if the gold on the blade represents fire from the dragon's mouth?

The dragon too is very nice and of good quality and a rather nice change from the usual flatter kind sometimes encountered.
It weighs in at about 27pounds and is 8'4"long, as I understand it, the halberd would have been kept in a temple in it's former life.

Comments and comparisons are most welcome and photos, text or pics from old books if anyone has them?

regards

Gav