two jian shaped dao

[josh stout]

Originally Posted by ariel

....I am not against posting it or liking it. But glaring exceptions are not informative. There are plenty of Frankenswords. They are curious, but not a "teachable moment". I just disagree that these examples prove "how much more there is to know about Chinese weaponry" .

I originally posted these dao as examples of a type, not as curiosities. I understand that China is huge and thus even strange forms can often be seen more than once, but these belong to a fairly common type that has not been discussed. I have six in my collection, and have seen several more. They appear to be found largely in northern regions and have substantial age, most likely dating from the 18th century. In general they are very similar to the jian from the same apparent region and period and almost as common. Once they are recognized as a particular type, they appear to be found in roughly equal numbers to jian of the same type. They also share with the similar jian, the same balance, weight and feel, as well as similarities in construction and workmanship.

I wish I knew more about these dao, but other than recognizing them as a distinct and relatively common form, I know almost nothing. There are exceptions in form as with all Chinese weapons, making definitions problematic as usual. Some have wider blades, and function more like choppers, I have seen several with curved blades, and also several with blades very similar in shape to Tibetan blades. One apparently Tibetan influenced example from Qinghai province in my collection, has hairpin construction in the manner typical of Eastern Tibet but with a jian shaped dao form, including the clipped tip. I suspect that, like Tibetan sabers, these dao owe their form to the straight dao of the Tang dynasty and earlier. The clipped tip may be a later addition to the form, or may have been influenced by the small hooked tip found on some early sabers.
Josh