What is this?

Badum-Tiss.

>>33877948
it supposedly to be 護環 (retaining ring) i believe, where you put laces through to hold it on your belt. But your picture only has one ring instead of two.

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I have very little on Chinese arms and armour, but what I have would suggest that you do indeed put your belt through that bit.

The wrapping, if present at all to begin with, may not hold the "belt clip" in place, but may instead be there to prevent the belt and your clothes (armour in particular) from chewing up the surface of your scabbard. We see partially rattan-wrapped scabbards in Japan for that reason at least, and buffed leather scabbard covers/socks much later on in Europe.

Either way, if there is a wrapping,whatever its purpose, it would probably have been done in such a way that a belt wouldn't undo it. Tie it off, glue it down, or both.

This of course doesn't preclude Chinese warlords carrying their sword instead, these fashions may simply have existed at different points in time, different parts of the country, or just plain co-existing.

Also worth keeping in mind is that the style here is a very old one, Han dynasty or so? The scabbard fittings used, along with their names, shape and purpose, may change considerably as we move to younger jian.

>>33878334
The metal fitting here on the other hand is most likely purely decorative, as I don't see any way to slip a belt under it, and it's too far down the scabbard for it to seems likely that it'd balance decently if you did.

>>33878687
Yes, I have seen many jian with two that rest on the edge and not the flat of the scabbard like in these two images. I feel the rings are far more stable with two. But one that I own and some that I've seen made recently have this single rectangular bar. There will be wrap around the wood that holds the bar in place. After running around with something like a belt pulling at the bar I feel it would ruin the harness keeping everything attached.
But yes.
Thank you for the information.

kungfag of 8 years here. Most of the time in china they carried the sword because they did not have a scabbard. You put a string through the little loops and hang it over your arm, you make a double loop thing so that the string sort of slack tightens over your shoulder. Sometimes the little ringlets are like spikes or are just really hard because in some styles you beat people with the scabbard/ use it as a parrying tool. The piece of metal its mounted on obviously holds the halves of the scabbard together. Dao are strung over the shoulder in the same way but just to be clear I have never seen anyone draw the sword from the back.

>>33878769
Fair point. I would be a bit apprehensive to try belting the sword in this manner though, if only because I would like to keep the wear a d tear down as much as possible. I might tie just below and just above the bar. This is very helpful though.

>>33878870
more jian stuff: rich niggas used to put wires in their tassels to whip people with and they experimented with heating swords over a fire. Some jian were so floppy people rolled them up or wore them as a belt (supposedly). One Chinese vampires weakness are swords with peach wood handles, usually a jian. Niggas argue over whether having your hilt frontwards or backwards is better (to deflect away or catch the sword) and which one looks nicer

>>33878641
My legs are OK.

>>33877948
>Chinese warlords did not have their swords on a belt, but carried it.
Sages, too. The sheathed jian served as a symbol of rank. One issued by the Emperor or a lord would carry extra weight. It was meant to be displayed. This depends on which time period, too, as a Han Jian is used much differently than a Ming or T'ang version.

Many or most one-handed jian forms are meant to be done with either the scabbard or a horse-tail whip in the left hand.

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>>33878870
>>33878972
The practices of largely 19th century martial arts may not be quite the same as those of, say, the third century AD. There's certainly been some changes back and forth in mounting hardware over the centuries.

>and they experimented with heating swords over a fire

That'd destroy any hardening and wear down the edges in a hurry, so I'm a bit sceptical about that. Should be something they'd learn not to do in a hurry at least if anyone was silly enough to try.

>Some jian were so floppy people rolled them up or wore them as a belt (supposedly).

You can certainly make such a blade, it's just a matter of making it thin enough. At the same time such a blade would be rather useless in a fight, but it'd hardly be the only fashion victim weapon the world has seen.

And if I'm allowed a bit of pure speculation, both such (or somewhat less exaggerated but still combat unworthy blades) and the tin foil "blades" of modern exhibition wushu/tai chi may have been made extremely floppy so that you'd look very impressive when the sword blade buckled under the force of your chi. Which was then taken much too far and lost most of the impact.

>>33878972
>Some jian were so floppy people rolled them up or wore them as a belt (supposedly).
There's a sword in India called an Urumi but the floppy jian is a product of modern Chinese Wushu performance. In the old days, a chainwhip might be worn like that.

>>33879032
I will have to look into the uses and importances placed upon the different jian from differing dynasty.

>>33879129
Settle in, it's 3000 years of blade evolution. My favorite are the Ming and T'ang flavors.

I've always loved these. I kinda wanna buy one. What should I look for?