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In China, falchions and sabers with grips long enough for two-handed use were employed in civilian martial arts and were issued to various military units during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The former are characterized by broad blades which widen towards the tip, which is "clipped" in the manner associated with a typical bowie knife. These weapons could have developed from polearms and from agricultural knives which blades of similar form. They were the perennial favorite of the common folk, whether they fought as rebels or in various infantry or militia formations. During the Qing, several versions were issued to the Luying, or Green Standard Army, composed entirely of Han Chinese not affiliated with the Banner system. The weapons shown in the accompanying illustrations have blades of another type. In contrast with the broad falchions, these are narrow-bladed and gradually tapering. Their blades are related in form to the liuyedao, a short-hilted saber worn in a scabbard slung >from the belt. It is generally assumed that these weapons were based on prototypes introduced from Japan, because outside of their scabbards, they bear a superficial resemblance to the no-dachi, a long sword slung across the back. Japanese influence cannot be discounted, considering the importation of large numbers of Japanese sabers into China during the Ming. The involvement of Japanese in the coastal piracy that plagued the Chinese seaboard during the 16th cent. may also be contributory. However, it is interesting to note that the Chinese versions have scabbard attachment systems and a manner of wearing that are different from the no-dachi. Rather, the suspension bands and bar on the scabbard closely parallels those found on the peidao, or saber worn at the belt. It could be just as likely that the Chinese two-handed sabers could have evolved parallel to the long-handled falchion blades described above. During the Ming Dynasty, the famed general Qi Jiguang gave two-handed sabers an important role in the combat systems he devised for his pirate-suppression forces. Similar weapons were also used by the Koreans in their struggle against the Hideyoshi invasion in the 1590s. The Huangchao Liqi Tushi (Illustrated Regulations for the Ceremonial Regalia of the Current Dynasty), 1759 edition, lists four types of two-handed sabers (as opposed to three long-handled falchions). All of these weapons were issued to the Green Standard Army. The generic term for two-handed sabers in the Manchu language is jangku. The basic model was the zhanmadao (sacimbi loho in Manchu), a weapon used by infantry to cut the legs of charging horses. (It is interesting to note that the Chinese term zhan and the Manchu word sacimbe both mean "behead" or "sever"). According to the regulations, this weapon had a blade length of 3.4 (Chinese) feet, and a hilt 1.3 feet long. Almost identical, except for slightly greater hilt-to-blade length ratio, was the changren dadao , or long-edged big knife. Also similar, except for a much shorter blade but longer hilt, was the shuangshoudai dao , or saber carried in two hands. The fourth one was the beidao. The term bei means "back" or "spine", and it may refer to the greater-than-average thickness of the blade. In fact, the Manchu language has a term, yungturu jangku, a thick-bladed two-handed saber. Two handed hilt weapons of the above types were used, with but slight variation in form, in Vietnam. There, the long handled falchions were called dao truong and the sabers, guom truong

Item/Title:	Falchion Sword
Date/Period of Manufacture:	Item made during the Ming Dynasty ~1368-1399
Condition:	Excellent
Manufacturer/Artist/Author:	Unknown
Dimensions (HxWxD):	43inch length 3 inch blade width ~10 lbs
Inscription:	See Photos
History/Provenance:	Purchased on a trip to Qing Tao China.

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