Zhu Di, the Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty, was the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty. He ascended the throne in Nanjing in 1402 and changed the reign to Yongle. During his reign, Zhu Di carried out many reforms, established the Guizhou Provincial Administration Commission, consolidated the northern and southern border defenses, and maintained the integrity of China’s territory. He also sent Zheng He to the West many times to strengthen friendly exchanges between China and foreign countries. At the same time, he also ordered people to compile the “Yongle Encyclopedia” and dredge the Grand Canal, which played a very positive role in strengthening the rule of the Ming Dynasty. In 1421, Zhu Di moved the capital to Beijing, which played a vital role in the rule of the Ming Dynasty. During his reign, the situation after the Jingnan Campaign developed into a prosperous economy and a strong national power, which is known as the “Yongle Prosperity”.
The most famous sword of the Ming Dynasty, the “Great Ming Yongle Sword”, has now become the treasure of the Royal Armouries Museum in the UK. This sword was created in 1420 and was made for the use of the Emperor Yongle of China. It was presented as a state gift to the Living Buddha of Tibet. It was looted during the invasion of China by the Eight-Power Allied Forces and did not reappear until 1991. It was eventually purchased by the Royal Armouries Museum in the UK for 100,000 pounds.
This Yongle sword is 90.3 cm long and 76.2 cm long. The blade is made of Damascus steel, and the sword decoration is extremely luxurious. The outer body of the sword is covered with gold and silver, and a large number of hollow carvings and chiseling techniques are used. The inner layer of the scabbard is made of wood and partly of leather. It can be said that this sword embodies the highest level of royal sword making in the Ming Dynasty and is one of the representative works of ancient Chinese sword making.
As one of the most important instruments of Buddhism, the Yongle Sword is a symbol of wisdom and an object of awareness that eliminates ignorance and obstructions. It is included in the “Seven Near Treasures” of the Chakravartin and is also closely related to Manjusri Bodhisattva. The Ming Dynasty was regarded as an important era of the revival of the Han people at that time. It was a powerful government from the beginning. During the Yongle period, its ruling power continued to increase. The “Yongle Sword” was created in this extremely powerful background and was greatly endowed with a symbol of power and strength.
As a gift from Emperor Yongle to a great living Buddha in a Tibetan temple, the Yongle Sword is an outstanding work of art. The iron gilt hilt and other gilt fittings are decorated with exquisite Ming-style and Buddhist patterns, with a strong Tibetan style. The outer cover of the Yongle Sword is heavy gold, and the hilt is embossed with the pattern of the Tibetan Buddhist guardian beast “Qiong”, with gemstones inlaid in its eyes. This beast was originally represented as a golden-winged roc, and evolved into a lion in the Ming Dynasty. The embossed sword head is directly attached to the hilt. The black leather scabbard is completely sealed, which is called “quza” in Tibetan. It is quite popular among high-level Tibetan knives, but such exquisite ones are rarely seen.
Although the Yongle Sword was looted during the Eight-Nation Alliance, its fate was changed. The Yongle Sword was purchased by the Royal Armouries Museum in the UK for 100,000 pounds and is known as the top ancient weapon collection in the Royal Armouries Museum. Today, the sword has become the treasure of the Royal Armouries Museum in the UK, showing people the ancient Chinese sword culture.
