Pear Flower Spear Lihua Qiang a Ming dynasty fire lance

A woodcut depicts a Lihua Qiang Pear Flower Spear, a Ming dynasty gunpowder weapon. The image shows a long spear with a traditional metal spearhead at the tip. Attached to the shaft near the head is a large, cylindrical bamboo or metal tube designed to eject flames and projectiles. The tube is secured to the spear shaft with multiple bands, and a fuse or small protrusion is visible at the base of the cylinder. The entire weapon is depicted diagonally across the frame.