Western Han Dynasty Chinese Bronze Short Sword acquired in the 1980's

Description

An extraordinary bronze short sword made during the Western Han Dynasty period. Most certainly recovered from a tomb. The surface is coated in a Chromium plating which greatly decreased the progression of Bronze Disease. Bronze short swords became shorter after 246 B.C. and were reserved for use as personal defensive weapons as iron was quickly replacing bronze for field combat weapons used in the military. Measuring 14 11/16" x 2" width at the faux hilt. The cutting edge measuring just 9.75". Weight is 2.18 Lbs. ( 0.990 Kg.). The blade is quite thin moving into a diamond cross section with the peak of the diamond measuring 0.25". The edge is sharp and apparently was never used. Likely this weapon could have been made for the deceased as grave goods. There is the beginning of bronze disease showing across the blade surface and on the hilt with brown and greenish areas. The brown has developed into a measurable thickness. This is not modern chemical ageing. The disease (which has obviously halted since recovery) is real. I have no provenance on this piece and purchased it from another dealer back in the 1980's which was well before the flood of modern replicas were coming out of China.