War Sword From Northern China, Qing Dynasty

This war saber originates from northern China.It is known as the “Northern Military Saber.” The generic Chinese name for this type of saber—which exists in several civilian and military versions—is  “liǔyèdāo,” literally “willow-leaf saber.”
This saber dates from the early 19th century, during the Qing Dynasty.
BLADE : It is a strong, thick, slightly curved, single-edged battle blade. On each side, a narrow fuller near the back edge of the blade begins 7.5 cm from the hilt and ends 14 cm from the tip.
Note that the blade is slightly shorter than the scabbard, which is very common for this type of saber. The blade shows traces of oxidation in places, which could be improved by polishing.
Blade length =70 cm, width at the shoulder= 3.9 cm, thickness at the shoulder= 7.5 mm
GUARD: This is the elliptical iron guard haracteristic of this model.  major axis = 8.8 cm, minor axis = 7.9 cm. A 9 mm wide, ribbon-shaped rim completes this guard.
POMMEL: It ismade of iron, shaped like a flattened spheroid, and consists of two halves welded together with copper. The blade tang is riveted directly to this pommel.
GRIP : It is made of wood, slightly curved, and covered with the original braided wrapping, which is slightly damaged. A sturdy iron ferrule secures the junction between the grip and the guard
SCABBARD : It i sa wooden sheath, flattened in shape, covered with blackened ray skin. The scabbard opening features a wide iron ring. The suspension system consists of two straps that attach to a dorsal suspension ridge featuring two rings.

A very complete weapon inits original condition. It is an essential classic of ancient Asian military weaponry.
Ref BX-2652 Participation to shipping fee: France €30, Europe €40