Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Short Sword
Western Han dynasty (206 BCE–9 CE)
Not on view
Short swords were used in hand-to-hand combat. As the present example attests, the workmanship of these weapons during the Western Han dynasty was impeccable. Both sides of the blade are inlaid with gold, with one side depicting flames and the other, clouds. Its exquisite decoration designates it as a luxury item for nobles.
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