The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
Chinese executioner's sword featuring a single edge, curved blade. The hilt has an oval iron guard with a reinforced downward rim. The handle is bound with cord and has a tapered oval iron pommel and a collar behind the guard. The iron fittings are painted black. The broad curved blade swells out to 56 mm at the hatchet point and has two thin fullers on each side near the back edge.
This type of sword was used by the Boxers to despatch convicted prisoners. Prior to the execution of Chinese prisoners their pigtails were cut off close to their heads. This prevented them being hauled up to join their ancestors by their gods.
Chinese sword. The hilt has an oval iron guard with a reinforced downward rim, iron collar and round pommel. The grips are two piece plain wood bound with blue/beige cord. The broad, slightly curved b
Chinese sword and scabbard. The hilt has an oval iron guard with a reinforced downward rim, iron collar and round pommel. The grips are two piece plain wood bound with string. The broad, slightly curv
Chinese sword and scabbard. The hilt has an oval iron guard with a reinforced downward rim, iron collar and round pommel. The grips are two piece plain wood with a hole 25 mm down from the pommel. The
Chinese sword and scabbard. The hilt has an oval iron guard with a reinforced downward rim, iron collar and round pommel. The grips are two piece plain wood with a hole 25 mm down from the pommel and
Chinese sword and scabbard. The hilt has an oval iron guard and the reinforced downward rim has been detached. The handle is two piece plain wood with a hole 25 mm down from the pommel through the tan
North African Nimcha Sword. The hilt has a crude iron square D shape guard with a right angle quillon and a wooden grips held to the tang with two rivets. The slightly curved blade has three narrow fu