The Jian is a Chinese double-edged straight sword. The earliest records of a jian dates back to the 7th century BCE. The first jians were mostly made of bronze and then progressed to iron and then steel with advances in metallurgy. The jian's form varied slightly during the different dynasties in China but with the main feature of being double-edged and straight retained.
Shen Guanglong Ruyi Han Jian sgl6008 is a beautiful reproduction of the sword in the Han dynasty (B.C 202-A.D 220). The blade is made of folded steel, it’s specially treated to present random pattern in the middle. Both handle and scabbard are made of ebony, a high-density black wood with fine vein. The handguard, pommel and ornaments in the scabbard are made of brass, hand-carved. The motif is from Han dynasty. The decoration in the middle of the scabbard is a ruyi. In Chinese fairy tale, ruyi is a weapon made by Yellow Emperor who is regarded as the initiator of Chinese civilization and the ancestor of all Chinese. Ruyi is considered to have the power to exorcise evil spirits and bring good luck.
The sword is functional, it’s an artwork for collection.