Lacquered Tiger Patterned Halberd - Ancient Ritual Artifact Rarely, bronze halberds feature depictions of tigers and eagles in relief. Only four examples have been confirmed to exist in Japan: in Ogori City, Kasuga City, and Chikushino City in Fukuoka Prefecture, and in Omachi City, Nagano Prefecture. This item is likely the fifth example to be investigated. This is its first unveiling. This is the first and last time it will be shown. Unearthed in Kumamoto Prefecture. When discovered, it was covered in rust and in a deplorable state. It has been completely polished and restored as much as possible by a craftsman to resemble its original condition, and is on special display in a showcase. 【Size】 Length: 4.5cm Width: 26.8cm Height: 14.5cm Weight: 660g It closely resembles an item on display at the Shaanxi History Museum in China, so please search for it. ↓ Excerpt below Lacquered Tiger Patterned Halberd [Japanese: roukuu komon ka] Spring and Autumn Period - Warring States Period | Bronze Artifact | > Lacquered Tiger Patterned Halberd 〈Halberd with a tiger pattern in openwork〉 Late Spring and Autumn Period - Early Warring States Period Made of bronze Total length 15cm, width 6.4cm This halberd features a tiger seizing an eagle in openwork. The combination of a tiger and a fierce bird can also be seen on the "Bird-shaped Lid Bronze Gourd Vase" (a bronze gourd-shaped vase with a bird-shaped lid) unearthed from Jinshun Village, Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province, and the motif of fierce beasts fighting is often used in artifacts and decorations unearthed from northern nomadic peoples. Perhaps these expressions were intended to express the expectation of brave performance on the battlefield. "Bird Character Quiz" In the preface of the "Shuowen Jiezi," a character dictionary compiled by Xu Shen of the Han Dynasty, it is said that there were eight types of Qin script, including Da Zhuan and Xiao Zhuan, as well as bird script. Currently, 265 characters of this bird script have been deciphered (and 144 are still undeciphered), and there are over 150 artifacts inscribed with these characters. The beauty of bird script occupies a unique position in the art of calligraphy. The "Gold Inlaid Bird Seal Script Halberd" unearthed from the No. 1 Warring States Tomb in Luonan City, Shaanxi Province, is an excellent cultural relic due to its beautiful bird character design and gold inlay. Bird script halberds, both handed down and unearthed, are often found in regions such as Wu, Yue, Chu, Song, and Cai. Thank you for viewing.