Blade Gallery

Japanese warrior woman with naginata

Japanese warrior woman with a large Naginata. A naginata is a pole weapon that was traditionally used in Japan by members of the samurai class. It consists of a wood shaft with a curved blade on the end, similar to the Chinese Guan Dao or European glaive or Russian sovnya. Usually it also had a sword-like guard (tsuba) between the blade and shaft as depicted on this card. During the Edo Period, as the naginata became less useful for men on the battlefield, and became a symbol of the social status of women of the samurai class. A functional naginata was often a traditional part of a samurai daughter's dowry. Women of the samurai class were expected to be capable of defending their homes while their husbands were away at war!

© Mary Evans / Grenville Collins Postcard Collection

Arm knife and scabbard

Arm knife and scabbard, nd. Long, double edged blade of usual leaf shape. With semi-circular gear-wheel type stamps. Yellow bone hilt with usual double concave shape. With ornamental tang button, centre bound with plain and twisted wire. Brought back by FM Lord Wolseley from the Nile Expedition, 1st Sudan War (1884-1885). Date: 1884

© The National Army Museum / Mary Evans Picture Library

Fantastic Adventures - War of the Giant Apes

Fantastic Adventures - War of the Giant Apes by Alexander Blade. A giant ape uses a boulder to attack a truck with a scared man in it. This truck also holds equipment which is transmitting signals to a mind control device on the monkey's head Date: 1949

© Mary Evans Picture Library

Alexander, Ape, Attack, Blade, Boulder, Control, Controlling, Cover, Device, Equipment, Fantasy, Fi, Fiction, Magazine, Man, Mind, Mind Control, Monkey, Pulp, Rock, Scared, Sci, Sci Fi, Science, Signals, Throw, Throwing, Transmit, Transmitter, Transmitting, Truck