Peach Wood Sword

The peach wood sword hangs on the wall and is never drawn.

In Chinese tradition peach is the wood that keeps a threshold. The earliest door charms were peach boards, the door gods were painted on peach, and a sword carved from it became the household guardian, hung to hold a home steady and turn away whatever should not come in. The blade is carved with the seven stars of the Dipper, the Daoist mark of a sword meant for guarding rather than fighting, and a red tassel and hanging cord are tied at the guard.

Three scabbards to choose from: a dragon with the taiji cut into the guard, a scabbard covered in the character fu (福) written a hundred ways, and the ruyi, all things as they should be. Often bought for a new house before the furniture goes in, or for a home that has not felt settled since a hard year.

Placement: inside the front door, above the lintel or on the wall facing it, hung by its cord. Not in a bedroom, and not pointed at a seat.