Period:Han dynasty Production date:2ndC BC-2ndC AD
Materials:jade
Technique:polished, incised, bevelled,
Subjects:taotie
Dimensions:Height: 2.60 centimetres Width: 4.90 centimetres
Description:
Sword guard of translucent white jade with some areas of brown inclusions polished to a high gloss.
IMG
![图片[1]-sword BM-2022-3034.170-China Archive](https://chinaarchive.net/Han dynasty/Jades/213_.jpg)
Comments:This rhombic-shaped sword guard decorated on both sides with finely incised and bevelled angular scrolls with rounded “ears” and a rectangular vertical channel. Central ridges divide the sword guard’s decorative panels with a wide deep groove at the base for fitting of the butt end of the sword. Warring States Period. See Stanford 1958, no. 171; Rawson 1995, p.298, cat.no.21:7, and Min Chiu 1985, no. 205. This is a typical hilt ornament or sword guard. The upper edge has rounded shoulders to either side of a central hole, through which the metal hilt must have passed. The sides slope gently outwards, while the two lower edges turn inwards, with a slightly curved outline, to a central point. Both sides are decorated with a pattern of angular interlocking scrolls formed by a combination of incised lines and shallow sloping channels. On slightly earlier sword hilts these scrolls are focused around pairs of taotie eyes, of the type seen on the chape as no.60 [2014,AsiaLoan, 1.7]. Such taotie faces were derived from designs originally developed on early Eastern Zhou swords in south-eastern China. Zhou swords in south-eastern China. Jade fittings with face patterns are found in late Eastern Zhou tombs at Yanzishan in Sichuan province, and later examples occur in the tomb of the King of Nan Yue at Canton. On these latter examples the incised lines are ornate, indicating their slightly later date. Other sword guards, like the present one, have simplified decoration and lack eyes.
Materials:jade
Technique:polished, incised, bevelled,
Subjects:taotie
Dimensions:Height: 2.60 centimetres Width: 4.90 centimetres
Description:
Sword guard of translucent white jade with some areas of brown inclusions polished to a high gloss.
IMG
Comments:This rhombic-shaped sword guard decorated on both sides with finely incised and bevelled angular scrolls with rounded “ears” and a rectangular vertical channel. Central ridges divide the sword guard’s decorative panels with a wide deep groove at the base for fitting of the butt end of the sword. Warring States Period. See Stanford 1958, no. 171; Rawson 1995, p.298, cat.no.21:7, and Min Chiu 1985, no. 205. This is a typical hilt ornament or sword guard. The upper edge has rounded shoulders to either side of a central hole, through which the metal hilt must have passed. The sides slope gently outwards, while the two lower edges turn inwards, with a slightly curved outline, to a central point. Both sides are decorated with a pattern of angular interlocking scrolls formed by a combination of incised lines and shallow sloping channels. On slightly earlier sword hilts these scrolls are focused around pairs of taotie eyes, of the type seen on the chape as no.60 [2014,AsiaLoan, 1.7]. Such taotie faces were derived from designs originally developed on early Eastern Zhou swords in south-eastern China. Zhou swords in south-eastern China. Jade fittings with face patterns are found in late Eastern Zhou tombs at Yanzishan in Sichuan province, and later examples occur in the tomb of the King of Nan Yue at Canton. On these latter examples the incised lines are ornate, indicating their slightly later date. Other sword guards, like the present one, have simplified decoration and lack eyes.
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