WESTERN HAN DYNASTY (206 BC-AD 8)

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.