7 Chinese Halberds From The Qing Dynasty.

7 Chinese halberds from the Qing Dynasty.

Detailsof halberds 1 through 7 
No.1 – L = 1.35 m Forged iron blade with a hook,shaft-mounted on a (truncated) bamboo shaft with a brass ferrule.
No. 2 –L = 3.04 m Half-moon-shaped blade, made of wrought iron,mounted with a ferrule on a hardwood shaft fitted with a wrought-ironanchor shoe.
No. 3 – L= 3.60 m Straight forged iron blade, mounted with atang on a bamboo shaft (cracked) with a forged iron anchor shoe.
No. 4 – L= 3.94 m.“Carp tongue” blade made ofwrought iron, mounted with a tang and brass-socked onto a bamboo shaft fitted with awrought-iron anchor shoe.
No. 5 – L= 3.89 mVery large four-sided cutting blade made ofwrought iron, mounted on a tang and fitted with a brass ferrule on a bamboo shaft with awrought iron anchor shoe.
No. 6 – L= 3.01 mA hook-tipped carp hook made ofwrought iron, mounted on a silk tang, with a brass ferrule on a shortened blackened wooden shaft(the wrought-iron anchor shoe is missing).
No. 7 – L= 2.57 mLarge wrought-iron scythe blademounted on a tang, reinforced with wrought-iron rings, on a bamboo shaft(truncated; the footplate is missing). 
Severalmarkings to be deciphered on some shafts.

TheChinese halberd (ji): a powerful and elegant weapon for combat andceremonial use.It was acommon infantry weapon for centuries in ancient China, also used by cavalry andchariot drivers.Known as a guandao or yanyuedao, it is a polearm. Powerful, with a long reach and asharp blade, it was ideal for combat on the battlefield.The halberd waswidely used by infantrymen (Bīng (兵) or Zú (卒)), as its long reach allowed them to strike the enemy froma distance. The blade was particularly effective at piercing armor,while the hook at the rear was used to disarm or knockcavalrymen off their horses.The wrought-iron blades,which came in various shapes and were particularly sharp, were mounted with a tang or asleeve, fitted with a brass ferruleThe shaft, made of bamboo orhardwood, measured from 1.40 m to over 3.50 m. At one end, awrought-iron ferrule served as an anchor to more effectively halt cavalry.For ceremonial halberds,which were just as functional as those used in combat, the blades were decoratedwith a profusion of gold motifs, and the shafts were adorned with multicolored fabrics and ribbons.