Antique Chinese straight sword ‘Jian’

 An antique Chinese straight sword ‘Jian’.Very nice sword, the blade well made, weighty and well-balanced, of pronounced diamond cross-section and having a triangular tip, each face is inlaid along its length with seven brass dots associated with the celestial aspects of Chinese religion. It is also possible they stood as a mark of blade quality. The forte of one blade face is engraved with a dragon, the other side with several characters in Chinese calligraphy.The brass mounts very deeply and crisply hand -chiselled with a dragon or ‘Yazi’  睚眦/睚眥] with a character chiselled on his forehead. The grip tightly wrapped with cord. The pommel of brass with a stepped domed shape rivetted to the tang in traditional chinese fashion. The wooden scabbard with two chiselled brass mounts to the top and bottom, probably originally lacquered or fabric covered. Second half of the 19th century. china far east oriental