Recent tibetan-chinese sword

[BBking]

Hello ,

I will receive this sword,
The seller told me he is sure about late 19th century,
For me more a recent made tibetan or chinese sword but the price is fair...
The small chain and scabbard look recent but the blade shows some kind of lamination...
real one ? All recent ?

[BBking]

A part of the handle...

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by BBking

Hello ,

I will receive this sword,
The seller told me he is sure about late 19th century,
For me more a recent made tibetan or chinese sword but the price is fair...
The small chain and scabbard look recent but the blade shows some kind of lamination...
real one ? All recent ?

Hello BBing,

I am sure that nobody will give you an expertise with the given pictures, better wait until you have it in your hands and can take and post better pictures.

Just my humble opinion.

Regards,
Detlef

[BBking]

Here the better pics I have...

[JBG163]

In my opinion, blade, guard and pommel are most likely to be old...Seems to be a sword originaly from the Kham area. The rest, i would say 20th maybe later, probably made in Nepal (that is only an assumption). I have seen several old blades remounted with that kind of fittings lately.

[BBking]

Thank you Sajen and JBG for your answers,
I wait for it and hope the pictures will tell more and good news !

[BBking]

Hello,
I receive it,
Nice surprise for the blade, a massive one.
How old ?
I cleaned the hilt and guard seems made of copper or coppered iron.
The handle is later covered /repaired ?
For the scabbard,
Good news, it's made of wood and leather covered.
I battle / try to remove the metal fittings and see all the structure...

[Tim Simmons]

More pics of the whole thing and the scabbard.

[Philip]

Originally Posted by JBG163

In my opinion, blade, guard and pommel are most likely to be old...Seems to be a sword originaly from the Kham area. The rest, i would say 20th maybe later, probably made in Nepal (that is only an assumption). I have seen several old blades remounted with that kind of fittings lately.

I agree on the blade + the iron hilt fittings, typically Kham. The round flanged guard and the nonferrous inlaid bands on the obverse the pommel are unique to the area. The original hilt would have been wood (usually) overlaid with ray skin. And not a round/oval cross-section, but more like a flattened hexagon, the area under the guard slightly expanded.

The sword seems to have a nice old blade, a classic Tibetan "hairpin" lamination which appears to be well-made.

[BBking]

Here the pictures !

Two scabbards in one !

[BBking]

Extra fancy later made mounts on the original leather covered scabbard.

Made of copper /low silver-white metal / brass
Must be a symbolism with this metal-colors combination..... ??
Someone maybe know ??

Fancy but old and well made,
Cf the back of the mounts...

[BBking]

And reassembled ,
I prefer the back side,

Looks mode authentic !
Or without the central piece...

To many differents colors/stones... !!! ;(

[BBking]

All these full pictures and not a comment ?

Maybe Philip told everything,
Thank you Philip !!

[JBG163]

The use of fur on the bottom part of the scabbard could indicate à use among the Lhoba people. Hard to tell more. Insertion of brass/copper on pommel is common in Kham area. Conservative way of thinking late 19th early 20th. But could be earlier. Here is a picture of a Lhoba wearing fashion. Note the sword and scabbard

[Tim Simmons]

Is that the "replacement handle" again.

[kronckew]

Looks a lot like my sword here:
https://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showt...ighlight=tibet

[kai]

All these full pictures and not a comment ?

Well, it's obvious that the blade is the main prize here; it certainly deserves some TLC. I'd suspect that it's very likely 19th c. (possibly even a bit older which would need a really close inspection maybe upon additional treatment).

Fittings are prone to needing repair or replacement sooner or later (depending on intensity of use and storage conditions). Any old remnants still deserve to be taken care of as historic examples, at least if genuine.

Regards,
Kai

[BBking]

Thank you all for your replies,

Kronckew, I already saw your interesting sword with the similar copper mounts and coral/turquoise arrangement,
The ''monster'' is Maru I'm right ?

For the blade, I cleaned it and it seems nice and old with the ''hair pin'' pattern, van it be 18th ??
The hilt is authentic too,
Nice picture of the three nails and pommel with the old wood of the hilt,
sadly no easy way to remove the white metal/low silver handle to see under..., it is welded and then folded...

[BBking]

I prefer to leave the sword this way:
The three metals mounts with a little space shoping the leather scabbard under and the sword beside.
Showing all elements:
Steel , wood, the differents copper alloys,
leather, stones and coral...

[Tim Simmons]

The scabbard has some similarity but the blade guard and handle are quite different.

[BBking]

The metal handle is later made,
As is the one you published on another post /small Tibetan sword dagger .

That's why I tried to remove it gently but it's ,as I wrote , ,welded and the folded...

I forgot the size and weight ,
nice impressive weapon:

Weight 840grs for scabbard
1080grs for the sword
Size of the sword without scabard : 95cm

[Tim Simmons]

Which might indicate that the handle is original.