Waist Knife with Jasper Inlaid Handle and Leather Sheath

This waist knife is made of steel with a jasper inlaid handle and a leather sheath. It is decorated with flower branches made of spun gold and precious stones. It was one of the state gifts given to the Emperor Qianlong by G. Macartney when he lead the British mission to China in 1793.

In order to gain more commercial interests and diplomatic interests in China, the Great Britain sent a mission headed by G. Macartney to China by ships in 1792. They arrived at Dagu Port on July 25, 1793. After landing, they took a short rest and then headed to Beijing. The main members went to the Summer Mountain Resort in Chengde to meet the Emperor Qianlong. Emperor Qianlong received the mission in Wanshu Garden of the Summer Mountain Resort. G. Macartney put forward several demands to the Qing government after they came back to Beijing, including allowing the Great Britain to do business in China, all of which were rejected by the Qing government. Although all the demands were not granted by the Qing government, G. Macartney and his team collected lots of practical information through the field observation. Staunton, the deputy envoy of the British mission, wrote in his book An Authentic Account of an Embassy from the King of Great Britain to the Emperor of China that G. Macartney came to the following conclusion. "The Qing Empire is like a broken first-class warship, what makes is superior to its neighbors is just its size and appearance. Once an incompetent man commands on the deck, there is no more discipline and safety for the ship. The Great Britain will benefit more from this change than any other countries." In the end, the British mission failed to realize its desire to open up the largest market in the East. Soon after, G. Macartney and his team returned to the Great Britain by ship through the Grand Canal via Hangzhou and Guangzhou, bringing a letter and gifts from Emperor Qianlong to the Queen of England.

Bronze Ge (dagger-axe) with Brocade Design

The blade of this Ge is slightly raised, and the back slightly bugles in a long arc shape. Its end is straight, with a downward hook-shaped tail. Three rectangular holes are arranged along the stem of the later Ge. One triangular hole is on its banister, and one rectangular hole on the end of the Ge. On the blade and the stem are decorated with lozenge patterns formed by double lines, adorned with dots where the lines cross.

According to research, this exquisite pattern on this Ge is created through special processing with copper sulfide. After such treatment, the weapon is not only beautiful but also anti-rust, reflecting the superb casting technology of ancient China. The double-line lozenge pattern on this Ge is a typical decoration on weapons of the states of Wu and Yue. In 473 BC, Wu was conquered by Yue, and in 333 BC, Yue was conquered by Chu. After that, this area was completely controlled by Chu. During the Warring States period, Chu, Wu and Yue were always adjacent to each other. Therefore, the exquisite weapons of Wu and Yue may flow into the Chu region. This is also one of the reasons why more Wu and Yue weapons were unearthed in the Chu cultural area during the Warring States period.

According to reports, two pieces of this Ge were unearthed at that time, and they may be a pair. Due to the exquisite production, the user may not be a general soldier or a junior officer, but probably a senior general.

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