Yun’e Sword

About The Entry

Rooted in traditional Chinese sword culture and intangible cultural heritage forging techniques, this work is purely handmade, seeking to reinterpret the contemporary aesthetic value of the ancient “gentleman sword.”

“Yun’e” Sword takes inspiration from the layered forms of clouds and floral calyxes. Drawing from the classical imagery of “phoenixes in flight” in the Book of Songs, the work embodies the spirit of the Chinese sword’s unity of etiquette and martial arts and of strength and gentleness. The sword is forged from three-layer laminated steel through repeated folding and hammering; the resulting forging patterns are delicate and natural, resembling cloud patterns. It also uses modern bluing techniques and hand-polishing techniques, giving the blade a brilliant blue-to-violet gradient reminiscent of glowing clouds at dusk and endowing the cold weapon with dynamic beauty. The scabbard features a wooden core wrapped in imitation shagreen, while both the scabbard and hilt are adorned with hand-carved copper phoenix ornaments, gilded with gold and silver. Arranged in sequence along the natural curve of the scabbard, the motifs evoke the imagery of resting phoenixes. The fittings are also centered on the phoenix motif. Through openwork copper carving and gold-and-silver plating techniques, phoenix and auspicious cloud patterns extend continuously from the pommel to the scabbard mounts, creating a cohesive and sculptural visual narrative. Set against a deep brown base, the gold-and-silver patterns combine imperial elegance with contemporary minimalist aesthetics.

In terms of craftsmanship, the work seamlessly integrates ancient forging wisdom and modern manufacturing techniques. By precisely controlling the temperature and duration of the bluing process, the issue of color banding in steel patterns is resolved, creating a refined and even gradient effect across the sword. To prevent a loss of depth and detail in openwork phoenix fittings, segmented casting and meticulous hand engraving are employed. Each feather and cloud motif is carefully refined and polished to ensure vivid, lifelike phoenix postures and clear details.