MANDARIN G@ MANSION ANTIQUES soup item i Group of arms from Tonkin ym fMaterials Iron, secel, brass, copper, wood, bamboo, eovton cord Origin ‘Tonkin (Northern Vietnam) Dating Introduction Between 1883 and 1886 the French tried to expand the territory they held in southern Vietnam and moved towards Tonkin in the north. ‘The Vietnamese rulers got help fiom Chines: Yongfu's Black Flag Army and the armies of Guangxi and Yunnan. ‘The event is known as the Tonkin campaign. The campaign ended officially in 1886 when the region became a French protectorate under the Treaty of Hué, but unrest remained until 1896. forces, most notably LiuTaken during the Tonkin wars of 1883-1886 but pos- sibly of earlier origin Provenance French auction, 2022 Sold Incerested? Anyching similar for sale? Coneaee me ‘This group ‘The following group of arms turned up at a French auction and was said co date fiom the Tonkin campaign. It was purchased by a European- based private collector, who then sold it to me. They originally came mounted on a red shield of questionableThe group consists of: 1A mde A Vietnamese version of what the Chinese would ca consists of a dramatically widening blade with a clipped tip, on a long wooden shaft, ‘The shaft is reinforced with a seties of iron tings and tubes. ‘The blade is held by a pin, with ribbed washers on either side, Ie has a small disc guard, The pommel is a cone of sheet iron held in place by a nail. Overall 150 em, blade 58.3 em, Weight 1499 grams. 2. A guom crudng GRR) ‘The long blade is mounted on a long wooden hilt with a slight thicken- ing in the center, Hilt is reinforced with a series of iron rings and cubesmore commonly found on pole arms. It has a small octagonal guard with four concave sides and four Flats. ‘The pommel consists of a small cube and a plate held by a nail. Overall 151 em, blade 93 em. Weight 1318 grams. 3. A giao This spear has a most interesting blade of rather complex geometry. It has a thickned center flanked by grooves, and notched rear end with small barbs. Ie has a spheroid bolster, ‘The foreshaft is aga reinforced with a series of iron rings and tubes, The blade is held by an iron pin with ewo washer a long time ago still during its working life, possibly to make it bile for tight conditions . The shafe was shorrened at some point, but obvious more po Overall 120.5 cm, blade 25 em, with socket 37:7 cm, Weight 1514 grams. 4- A spear/lance ‘The name of this type of weapon is unknown but it’ relatively common 0c to be native to thi urence in Vieenam, and appea ea, It has a long, ingle-edged blade with a sudden widening of the back profile, leading to a point. ‘This example is mounted on a bamboo shaft, its tip reinforced with metal rings and bands. It was shortened in more recent times, probably post-working life. Overall 126.2 em, blade 42.2 em. Weight 791 grams.5. Single-edged two-handed sword Another weapon of which the name is unknown to me. It consists of a substantial straight bur single-edged blade, It is mounted on a long wooden hile, reinforced wich an iron ferrule. It has no guard and never had one. The pommel is in the style of Ming dynasty straightswords, but obviously much later. Ie seems out of place here and probably came from a Vietnamese saber that sometimes had such pommels. Overall 101.8 em, 595 em. Weight 887 grams. 6. A truding dao (F8II) ‘The Vietnamese equivalent of the Chinese dadao (K JJ). Typical of Vietnamese examples, the blade shape is more dramatic with a stronger curve, a higher degree of widening from base to tip, and a clipped tip with concave end. Also, typically Vietnamese, there are engravings on the blade. ‘The hile is made of cour pieces of bamboo, bound together with cord. ‘The open pommel echoes early Chinese sword pommels of that style. Overall 75,7 em, blade 55.2ccm, Weight 970 grams. 7A guiom (3B) A single-handed saber with a narrow curved blade with subrle back bevels. It has a quatrefoil guard with small protrusions between each lobe. There is a ribbed washer against the base of the blade, modeled on the Japanese sepa. The cha stically long ferrule is round just under the guard, then has 2 fu ction, before turning into an oct ronalcross-section. The horn hilt continues in this shape, flares out consider- ably, and then bends downwards. The tang is peened over two washers at the pommel, ‘There are a number of engravings on the blade, typical northern Vietnamese in style. Overall 77.1 em, blade 51 em. Weight 764 grams 8. A short straightsword Seraightswords appear under different names in Vietnamese dictionaries quét being one of them. ‘This example is very much in the Chinese style, especially the blade, However, the guard and horn hile with nothing but a pommel plate (instead of a fll pommel) are very Vietnamese Overall 51.8 em, blade 40-7 em. Weight 567 grams 9. A pair of short knives Again much in a Southern Chinese fashion, with wide blades with a sud- denly clipped point. It has small brass guards and copper ferrules. Like with the straightsword, the hilts point towards Vietnamese origin; of facetted cross-section and with only a thin plate as a pommel, with their tangs peened over Overall 30.3 & 30.4 cm. Blades 21.5 cm each, Weight 204 & 209 grams.Notes [Names come frm G. Dumoutier; Mame! Mizaie Faneo-Tonkinos, Hanoi 1888 PG. Vaelot; Dicionaire Franco Tokina lene. Han 898 CARTE POSTALE Suze GYA Tonkinese woman armed with a saber that is very similar to #7. Notice the hile profile, smallish guard and long ferrule.amy Doyou have anything for sale? I might be incerested in buy- ing it. Coneace me Culture: Tonkin Location: North Vietnam Type: Swords Spear / lance Period: 1850-1874 Currently available:1?) A large Vietnamese A Sumbawa falchion usual Vi €1100,- ion A rather un- Kabeala With broad silver-clad €1350,- worked entirely A fine mid 19th century khukurt An understated, elegant khukuri of substantial proportions with fine lay- cred blade. €2200,-Se ate ene eet ee ee aera agth army didao spearhead 2 khukurt With markings areribue- OF ing ic co che Tongzhou in- sie shape, with a With iron, silver overlaid aped blade ona hile Is associated seab- cident and a Japanese sur connected bya bard features fine render tag, east bronze base. guillwork. €6500,- e375 e180, View all items > VHOK Se @CINOA PAN ® PRINTEMPS2 ASIATIQUEStn «and phocographs licensed under a Creative Commons Actribution 4.0 lacernational License By placing an order, you ae accepring my Terms and Conditions, Subscribe co he mailing lise ro never miss am upd ‘Or fllow the Mansion a 90