Chinese Ming Dynasty Nephrite Scabbard Slide

East Asia, China, probably Ming Dynasty, ca. 1368 to 1644 CE. A wide, handsome scabbard slide, made from a richly banded dark and light brown nephrite jade. On its face is a relief of two tiger faces, one facing outward from either end. The jade is very thin, demonstrating the skill of the artist who carved this piece. The scabbard slide was invented in the steppes of the southern Ural Mountains 2500 years ago, developed to manage the long iron equestrian sword. The scabbard slide was attached, using silk thread or a thin strip of metal, to a flat or ribbed part of the scabbard, facing away from the body and generally at the balance point. A belt, usually of leather, would go through the slide. Trousdale (1975) suggests that the scabbard slide was the sole device used for suspending a sword in China for six hundred years. The swords that are buried with these jade ornaments are ceremonial or presentation swords and belong to noblemen. Size: 2.75" W x 1.2" H (7 cm x 3 cm)

c.f. Trousdale, W. 1975. The Long Sword and Scabbard Slide in Asia. Smithsonian Contributions to Anthropology, No. 17.

Provenance: private Rhode Island, USA collection; purchased from the estate of a Massachusetts, USA collector in the 2000s

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#148023
Condition Report: Intact, with wear and deposits commensurate with age.