Not currently on display at the V&A

Parrying Weapon

19th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
China (made)

The 'sai' was a form of parrying weapon most often associated with East Asian martial arts, but is also associated with self defence and domestic police forces well into the 19th century. The thick metal bar can be used like a truncheon. The two curved quillons are strong enough to parry a sword cut and can be used to disarm and sometimes even break a sword blade.


Object details

Categories
Arms & Armour
India Museum
Object type
Parrying weapon
Materials and techniques
Forged steel, carved wood
Steel
Wood
Forged
Carved
Brief description
(Sai) or Chinese parrying dagger with a ribbed wooden hilt and thick quillons turned outwards and an octagonal tapering steel bar in place of a blade. Ex India Museum (Royal Asiatic Society). Egerton 780-782; Chinese; Arms and armour
Physical description
Chinese parrying dagger with a ribbed wooden hilt and thick quillons turned outwards and an octagonal tapering steel bar in place of a blade
Dimensions
  • Length: 49cm
  • Of guard width: 11.5cm
Object history
Part of a set of Chinese material on Loan to the India Museum (East India Company) from the Royal Asiatic Society. Transferred to South Kensington Museum in 1879 and inventoried in 1880.
Summary
The 'sai' was a form of parrying weapon most often associated with East Asian martial arts, but is also associated with self defence and domestic police forces well into the 19th century. The thick metal bar can be used like a truncheon. The two curved quillons are strong enough to parry a sword cut and can be used to disarm and sometimes even break a sword blade.
Bibliographic references
  • Lord Egerton of Tatton, Indian and Oriental Armour, London, 1896, p. 145, Cat. No. 780-782
  • Egerton, Wilbraham, An illustrated handbook of Indian arms; being a classified and descriptive catalogue of the arms exhibited at the India museum: with an introductory sketch of the military history of India, London, 1880 p.145
Other numbers
  • 780 to 782 - Egerton catalogue number
  • 12,594 - India Museum Slip Book
  • M.219-1935 - Incorrect number
Collection
East Asia Collection
Accession number
3305(IS)

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Record createdDecember 11, 2002
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O71866/parrying-weapon-unknown/
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