Recently, the First Strange Stone Festival kicked off at Tianzhu County in Guizhou Province. During the festival, large numbers of ancient bronze weapons from the Warring States Period and the Han Dynasty were exhibited.
Among those folk collections was a bronze sword generally accepted as one of the most delicate ancient swords in the world by experts, and it is also a typical bronze piece that carries clear characteristics of "Ye Lang Civilization."
The owner of this sword is Mr. Yang, a folk collector. In 2003, a local farmer found the sword accidentally when he was panning for gold, and he sold the sword to a businessman for 100 yuan. Years later, Mr. Yang bought the sword at a cost of 1,800 yuan and named it the "Ye Lang Sword," which is also known as "Tian Zhu Sword."
Experts and judges believe that the sword is one of the heritages of "Ye Lang Civlization," and estimates of its age range from the Warring States Period to the Han Dynasty. The sword has delicate engravings and is well-preserved, which indicates that bronze casting techniques reached their peak during that period.
Author: Wang Hanlu | Source: People's Daily [October 18, 2010]