Subject: 親王 qīnwáng prince as military commander
Culture: Chinese
Setting: Ming empire, China 15-17thc
Object: 劍 jiàn sword
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* Royal Armouries Museum > Oriental Gallery
"Sword (jian) China, about 1420
This sword is one of the rarest and most beautiful surviving examples
of ornate metalwork from the early Ming dynasty. It was probably
made in the imperial workshops of the Yongle Emperor (r.1403-24).
Similar decoration occurs on several ritual objects commissioned by the early Ming rulers.
"Interaction with Tibetan Buddhism increased in China during this period.
This high-status sword could have been made for presentation to a powerful
Tibetan monastery or allied ruler, or even for the Yongle Emperor himself." ...
