WESTERN HAN DYNASTY (206 BC-AD 8)

Details

A VERY RARE COMPLETE SET OF FOUR JADE SWORD FITTINGS
WESTERN HAN DYNASTY (206 BC-AD 8)
This very rare set comprises four jade fittings used to adorn a metal sword, including a sword pommel, a sword slide, a chape and a sword guard.
Sword slide: 3 3/4 in. (9.5 cm.) long, box

Provenance

Lantien Shanfang Collection, acquired in Hong Kong in 1991

Conditions of sale

Brought to you by

Liang-Lin Chen (陳良玲) VP, Senior Specialist Head of Sale

lchen@christies.com +852 2978 6725

Lot Essay

Jade was a popular medium for fittings used for the embellishment of metal swords owned by noblemen during the Han dynasty. It is extremely rare to find a complete set of jade sword fittings comprising all four elements: the pommel, slide, chape and guard. A number of jade sword fittings were found in the tomb of the Nanyue King in Guangzhou, illustrated in Jades from the Tomb of the King of Nanyue, Hong Kong, 1991, pls. 68-92.

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