Liaoning-type Bronze Dagger

The Bronze Age cultures of the Korean Peninsula can be divided into the “Liaoning-type bronze dagger culture” (1000-400 BCE) and the “Korean-type bronze dagger culture,” which developed around the 5th to 4th centuries BCE. The Liaoning-type bronze dagger culture emerged from China’s Liaoning region, and is marked by daggers with blades that somewhat resemble a lute (thinner at the top, wider and rounded at the bottom). In Korea, these are called either “Bipa-shaped” bronze daggers (“bipa” means “lute” in Korean) or “Gojoseon bronze daggers,” since they are also associated with the Gojoseon Kingdom. A typical Liaoning-type bronze dagger has the distinctive lute- or pear-shaped blade, with small triangular protrusions at the vertical midpoint, and a detachable hilt. The detachable handle is a key feature for distinguishing Liaoning daggers from other Chinese daggers, which were typically produced in one piece. The hilt of this dagger has a distinctive T-shape that is typically associated with Liaoning-type bronze daggers, and it is decorated with a unique lightning or zig-zag pattern. The hilt, which reportedly came from the region of Sichon in Hwanghae Province, represents a very important artifact because, in the Korean Peninsula, it is quite rare to find Liaoning-type bronze dagger blades with handles like this still attached.