Subject: 劍客 jiànkè Taijiquan swordsman
Culture: north Chinese
Setting: Jianghu, late Qing empire 19th-early 20thc
1. Wearing jiàn with Taoist costume
Late imperial Chinese illustrations of notable Taoists show them wearing jiàn diagonally at the back, on a shoulder sling. This contrasts to how jiàn were worn in earlier times, and how other late imperial swords were worn -- both at the waist, suspended from a belt. Field testing shows that carrying the sword this way can be convenient, placing the sword out of the way and freeing the arms. But drawing the sword from this position is difficult and clumsy, giving an opponent plenty of time to attack.
2. Hanwei #SH1013
This sword is specifically advertised as a jiàn for taiji practice; the large 太極圖 taìjítú "yin-yang symbol" on the guard reinforces this association.
3. Hanwei SH2007 Qing sword
While this jiàn is widely discussed online, not much is said about its decorative elements. They are worth mentioning here, as they relate the sword to popular Taoism. The guard is a bat, a popular lucky symbol because 'bat' 蝠 and 'happiness' 福 are homonymous in Mandarin fú (Williams 1976). The paired toggles on the tassel are gourds, an essential accessory of the wandering Taoist ascetic. A coin motif occurs repeatedly on the hilt and scabbard, with obvious associations of wealth. Coins by themselves are used in many Taoist rituals of blessing, divination, and exorcism.
4. Collapsible jiàn
It's unclear if these were ever true weapons, despite claims to that effect (Yang ). To be collapsible, the blade must be segmented, and both blade and hilt must be hollow. These hollow segments must also be thin, to reduce weight. These characteristics can't but combine to make a very delicate sword, not suitable to the hard impact of combat. I thus remain skeptical.
The decorative details are familiar to Taoist and Taiji objects. The grip actually reads tàijí jiàn 'T'ai Chi sword' in seal script, flanked by a dragon and phoenix. The pommel has the tàijítú -- yin-yang symbol bordered with the eight trigrams -- and anchors a long tassel. The guard is a dragon's face.
While of minimal use as a weapon, its dense surface symbolism makes it appropriate for Taoist ritual, or for solo practice of tàijí sword exercise. Also, in collapsed form, it makes a fine substitute for the whisk that often accompanies the sword in Taoist costume.
