An Edinburgh man says he is the owner of two pieces of ancient Chinese history, after being gifted them by a friend who renovated an old house in the capital.
Michael Carroll says he is in possession of two ceremonial swords, which he believes originate from the Qing dynasty in ancient Chinese culture, dating back to 221 BC.
Speaking to Edinburgh Live, Michael said: "I got these about a year back when a friend was renovating a very old house, and found these two swords and a 100-year-old kettle.
"They then passed the items on to me, and I now have them in my possesion.
"I'm Scottish myself, but I know that these items are important to Chinese culture, and I think they date back to the Qing dynasty."
The two swords shown in the images have various inscriptions on them, which match up to photos of Qin jian swords, from the Qin dynasty era.
The Qin dynasty ran from 221-206 BC, and ceremonial sword dances began shortly after the end of this era, with most of the weapons measuring up to 110cm.
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According to Chinese culture websites, the jian is a double-edged straight sword used during the last 2,500 years in China.
Swords similar to those which Michael claims he has picked up go on auction and are sold anywhere from £200 up to a whopping £1,400.
