antique Qing dynasty liyuedao willow leaf sabre sword

A nice and complete Liyuedao ‘Willow-Leaf sabre’ sword dating to the 19th century – Later Qing Dynasty period.
The brass fittings very nicely chiselled and pierced through with designs of scrolling dragons, the scabbard covered with greenish Shagreen (rayskin) in excellent condition. The steel blade of single edged and with two shallow fullers along its back edge, coming to a point with a chamfered back edge. Complete with its hanging mounts and the brass bar with loops to take fabric straps, overall length 27.5 inches, blade 17 inches approximately. This is a shorter bladed sword functional, the rivets to the hanging mounts are steel rather than brass, the peened steel tang from the blade can be seen at the pommel site with age patina. The grip is in great condition, covered with white knobbly shagreen and banded with brass strip, dark age patina can be seen in the unpolished areas, the brass areas may have been originally gilt. In good cleaned condition with some whitish polish traces to mounts