Elaborate Chinese Dao Sword Depicting Literary Scenes on Scabbard.  This dao (possibly Liuyedao) closely resembles the Japanese wakizashi, a short sword which was traditionally worn by samurai in feudal Japan as a backup if their katana broke or was knocked away in combat. Labeled stainless steel on blade. Inscribed with "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" in kanji on both sides and different scenes from the historical novel on each side of the scabbard. 

Condition: Good. 

Size With Case: 18 1/4 x 1 1/2 in. 

#7276 . 

Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a 14th Century historical novel attributed to Luo Guanzhong. It is set in the turbulent years towards the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history, starting in 184 AD and ending with the reunification of the land in 280 by the Western Jin. The novel is based primarily on the Records of the Three Kingdoms, written by Chen Shou in the 3rd Century. The story (part historical and part fictional) romanticizes and dramatizes the lives of feudal lords and their retainers, who tried to supplant the dwindling Han Dynasty or restore it. While the novel follows hundreds of characters, the focus is mainly on the three power blocs that emerged from the remnants of the Han Dynasty and would eventually form the three states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The novel deals with the personal and military battles, intrigues, and struggles of these states to achieve dominance for almost 100 years. The story is acclaimed as one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature; it has a total of 800,000 words and nearly a thousand dramatic characters (mostly historical or based directly on real people) in 120 chapters. The novel is among the most beloved works of literature in all of East Asia, and its literary influence in the region has been compared to that of the works of Shakespeare on English literature, remaining one of the most widely read historical novels from the late Imperial through Modern eras of China.

Good.