Collected Illustrations of the Three Realms

Utensils, Volume Six Table of Contents

Pear-blossom Spear Original: Lihua Qiang (梨花鎗). A hybrid weapon from the late Song and Ming dynasties. It combined a traditional spear with a "fire tube" (bamboo or metal) attached near the head. When ignited, it sprayed flames and pellets—likened to "pear blossoms"—at the enemy before the user engaged in spear-fighting.

Horse-Toppling Thrusting Spear Original: Daoma Tuqiang (搗馬突槍). A specialized heavy spear designed for infantry to use against cavalry, intended to trip horses or unseat armored riders.

Iron Chain Flail Original: Tielian Jiabang (鐵鏈夾棒). Literally "Iron chain sandwiched staff." This is a two-sectioned weapon similar to a flail, used to strike over an opponent's shield or parry.

Caltrops Original: Jili (蒺藜). Small metal devices with four or more sharp spikes, designed so that one point always faces upward. They were scattered on the ground to impede the movement of infantry and cavalry by piercing feet or hooves. The name refers to the spiky "Tribulus" plant.

Iron Truncheon Original: Tiejian (鐵簡). A solid metal striking weapon, usually square or rectangular in cross-section with no edge. It was designed to crush bone and dent heavy plate armor that would deflect a sword's edge.

Garlic-head Mace Original: Suantou (蒜頭). A heavy mace named for its striking head, which was cast in a multi-lobed shape resembling a bulb of garlic.

Sabers, Swords, and Staves Original: Dao (刀), Jian (劔), Bang (棒). The table notes the quantity of variations included in this volume: thirteen types of spears, eight types of single-edged sabers, two types of double-edged swords, and seven types of staves or clubs.