The Han and Tang dynasties were the most glorious eras in the thousands of years of Chinese civilization. Whether in terms of economy, culture or military, these two powerful dynasties left countless treasures for future generations. The extremely sharp Han sword of the Han Dynasty and the invincible Tang sword of the Tang Dynasty are both the pinnacle representatives of the era of cold weapons in my country.
Although there are few Tang swords left, people can still see them in some museums in China, but there are only a few Han swords: one is the jade sword in the Shanghai Museum, and the other is the rhinoceros sword unearthed from the Mawangdui Han Tomb. These two, as well as other Han swords unearthed from Han tombs, have been severely corroded, and it is difficult for people to peek into their former exquisiteness and prosperity from the thousands of mottled iron stains.
However, the only and most complete Han Dynasty sword in the world, a sword that is intact including the fittings, scabbard, handle and lacquer, is not in my country but is on display in the British Museum.
According to the “Book of Han”, a sword with a scimitar is a piece of wood between the ends of a sword and the ends of a sword. It takes a master swordsmith with exquisite craftsmanship more than ten years to forge a fine sword with a scimitar. Therefore, even in the Han Dynasty, the number of swords with a scimitar was very small, and only a few high-ranking officials and nobles could wear or collect them.
Shortly after the fall of the Han Dynasty, the forging method of the sword was completely lost, and the sword preserved in the British Museum was also treasured in the private treasuries of various emperors until the Qing Dynasty. Although the Qing Dynasty was based on the Manchus, it had great respect for Han culture, and the Han Dynasty sword was naturally favored by the emperor. There is a distinction between the emperor’s private treasury and the national treasury. The items collected in the private treasury are exclusive to the imperial power, representing the identity of a surname, and are displayed in the palace. However, every emperor who collected this Han Dynasty sword later suffered the disaster of national destruction, so some counselors advised the Qing emperor to put it in the Old Summer Palace, the royal treasury of the Qing Dynasty that specially collected cultural relics from past dynasties, and keep it away from the palace.
In 1860, the British and French allied forces captured the Old Summer Palace. The Minister of the Imperial Household Department reported to Emperor Xianfeng: “The British and French barbarians broke into the Old Summer Palace one after another, looting the furnishings in each hall, damaging large items and taking away small items.” The foreign cultural relics brought back by shiploads would be appraised by British experts. The treasures would be owned by the state and collected in the British Museum, while the ordinary cultural relics would be sold at high prices to wealthy nobles or given away as gifts. The Old Summer Palace collection is originally the treasures of successive Qing emperors. Whether it is the handed-down treasures left by the predecessors or the fine products of tribute from various vassal states, the specifications are extremely high. Among them, the most special one is the Han Dynasty sword.
This Han Dynasty sword, which symbolizes imperial power, reveals a rich historical heritage, both inside and outside, and should not be underestimated. As we all know, the Han Dynasty sword is a representative of Chinese cold weapons. The European noble class has also had the tradition of wearing swords since ancient times. This Han Dynasty sword is 85 cm long, with exquisite carvings on the scabbard and vivid patterns. The iron sword inside is still well preserved after thousands of years. Such artifacts amazed British experts who are used to seeing cultural relics from other countries and immediately determined that it is priceless.
Since the craft of making a sword with a handle has long been lost, no new sword with a handle has been discovered even in China, so the sword in the British Museum is the only one in the world. After passing the review of experts, the sword with a handle from the Han Dynasty was displayed in the British Museum along with other precious cultural relics. This kind of cultural relic belonging to the state will not be put on the auction market for auction.
Although the Han Dynasty sword is extremely valuable, the historical value of the sword is more important than measuring the value of an item with money. The sword body has not been corroded after two thousand years of wind and rain, which is the best proof of the exquisite iron smelting technology of the Han Dynasty in my country.
