A love from Indochina

Nick Wardigo · 21st May 2006, 04:40 PM

It's been a while since I've seen a Vietnamese kiem posted here (I think somebody did several years ago). As many forumites know, this is a subject very near and dear to my heart. I own a handful of examples myself, and I lectured on them two years ago in Timonium. For the past few years, I've been working on a dating system, but unfortunately I have only handled or studied photos of about 25 examples, so I'm far from anything conclusive.

I think this is a later example (early twentieth century) for several reasons.

First, the silverwork, while quite lovely, isn't quite up to the higher standards of earlier work. Second, the use of elephant molar for the handle seems to be a later affectation. Third, the mother-of-pearl inlay seems to convey a more realistic depiction of the animals, particularly the critter with the grapes, which I believe to be a tree shrew. I've noticed that, on earlier kiem examples, the depictions tend to be more stylized.

The blade is interesting, but I don't think it has a central rib per se. It is common to incise the blade with double fullers. On examples from the early nineteenth century (early Nguyen Dyansty), the blades are very narrow (about 3/4"), and the fullers are little more than incised lines (1/8" each, on the example I own). On examples from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries (late Nguyen Dynasty), the blades are somewhat wider (7/8") with wider fullers (1/4"). I own three kiem from this period with nearly identical blades and have personally handled several more. I think the blade and fuller widening is an influence of French smallswords. The earlier blades were also of three-plate construction (san mai) whereas the later blades are not.

My point about YOUR blade is that it seems to be an even further exaggeration. It appears as though the fullering extends entirely off the edge. Technically, I suppose this could be considered "hollow ground", creating the central rib structure. There is an example of double kiem at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that comes very close to your example, but the fullering is just shy of the edge.

21st May 2006, 04:40 PM	#3
Nick Wardigo Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA Posts: 54	It's been a while since I've seen a Vietnamese kiem posted here (I think somebody did several years ago). As many forumites know, this is a subject very near and dear to my heart. I own a handful of examples myself, and I lectured on them two years ago in Timonium. For the past few years, I've been working on a dating system, but unfortunately I have only handled or studied photos of about 25 examples, so I'm far from anything conclusive. I think this is a later example (early twentieth century) for several reasons. First, the silverwork, while quite lovely, isn't quite up to the higher standards of earlier work. Second, the use of elephant molar for the handle seems to be a later affectation. Third, the mother-of-pearl inlay seems to convey a more realistic depiction of the animals, particularly the critter with the grapes, which I believe to be a tree shrew. I've noticed that, on earlier kiem examples, the depictions tend to be more stylized. The blade is interesting, but I don't think it has a central rib per se. It is common to incise the blade with double fullers. On examples from the early nineteenth century (early Nguyen Dyansty), the blades are very narrow (about 3/4"), and the fullers are little more than incised lines (1/8" each, on the example I own). On examples from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries (late Nguyen Dynasty), the blades are somewhat wider (7/8") with wider fullers (1/4"). I own three kiem from this period with nearly identical blades and have personally handled several more. I think the blade and fuller widening is an influence of French smallswords. The earlier blades were also of three-plate construction (san mai) whereas the later blades are not. My point about YOUR blade is that it seems to be an even further exaggeration. It appears as though the fullering extends entirely off the edge. Technically, I suppose this could be considered "hollow ground", creating the central rib structure. There is an example of double kiem at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that comes very close to your example, but the fullering is just shy of the edge.