Bronze dagger

This elegant bronze dagger has Southern Chinese origins, possibly Yunnan. The hollow handle is decorated with fine bands of swirls and both horizontal and vertical stripes. The top of the flaring handle has a number of thin vertical perforations. The blade and handle are separated by a flat hand-stop. The tapering blade has an engraved symbol at the top and a few minor nicks along the edge. The Dian kingdom, a metalworking culturele, inhabited part of central and northern Yunnan, during the late Spring and Autumn period until the Eastern Han Dynasty.