Another one of the 4 great weapons and holder of the title "Gentleman of Weapons" (百兵之君).
The Jian sword's history is shrouded in myth and legend. China's founding monarch Huangdi, or The Yellow Emperor is said to be the first owner and user of the Jian. However most historians say the Jian came to China from the west, sometime around 800 B.C.E. and was probably based on the Scythian Akinakes sword.
The Jian is a straight, double-edged sword, with a relatively small hand guard. Most Jian either have a wrapped grip, or a fluted wooden grip. Decorative Jian often had jade hand guards, and intricate openwork carvings of dragons, flowers, bats, or Chinese lions. modern jian usually have a decorative knot and tassel tied to the pommel.
The first Jian were made of bronze, and later in the Han dynasty, iron and steel Jian replaced them.
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| Bronze Age Jian |
Jian have a special meaning to Chinese people. Many are given as gifts, or kept as family heirlooms. The Jian used by kings often had mythical stories written about them, not unlike king Arthur's sword, Excalibur. One example is King Goujian's Sword, Chun Jun.
The Jian is symbol of China's martial culture, and it would be strange to find a style of Chinese martial arts that did not include it in its arsenal of weaponry.
Two famous Jian created for modern films are the "Green Destiny" (青冥寶劍) from the movie "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and the hollow "Nameless" Jian (無名劍) from "Hero" (starring Jet Li)
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