Medieval Chinese Swords

Chinese medieval sword-making - spanning roughly the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE) through the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 CE) - represents the full maturation of Chinese blade craft. The Tang Dynasty produced some of the most aesthetically refined court swords in Chinese history, with elaborate fitting traditions that influenced Japanese sword making when these forms were transmitted through cultural exchange. The Song Dynasty saw significant military sword development as Chinese armies sought to maintain military effectiveness against nomadic cavalry threats from the north. The Ming Dynasty produced the yanmaodao - the 'goose quill blade' - one of the most elegant and functional military dao forms in Chinese history, as well as continued refinement of the two-handed zhanmadao (horse-chopping sword) form. Taken together, the medieval Chinese sword tradition represents approximately a thousand years of continuous development and represents the historical peak of Chinese imperial blade craft.

Medieval Chinese sword collectibles in this collection draw from these dynastic traditions through the two dominant forms of Chinese sword history. Jian pieces - double-edged straight swords - reference the Tang Dynasty court sword tradition and the later Ming literary and martial arts jian aesthetic. Damascus Steel jian pieces are particularly appropriate for the Tang period reference, as the Tang Dynasty was contemporaneous with the peak of Damascus steel prestige in the Islamic world, and Chinese craftsmen of the period were aware of and interested in folded and patterned steel techniques. Dao pieces reference the military sword traditions of the Song and Ming periods - single-edged practical military swords built for infantry and cavalry use. Our Chinese dynasty swords and traditional Chinese sword collections provide related options.

Collecting medieval Chinese swords is an entry point into one of the most historically significant periods in world history. The Tang and Song Dynasties were contemporaries of European medieval civilization, and the sword-making achievements of imperial China during this period were fully comparable to the best work being done in Europe and the Islamic world simultaneously. A hand-forged Chinese medieval sword in Damascus steel is a collectible that carries the weight of this historical context, making it a piece with genuine depth for collectors who appreciate the history alongside the blade craft.