Only the gold hilt remains to this sword. The flat hilt hosts a ring pommel. A pair of stylized animals curve to form the pommel. A neat mat pattern adorns the grip. The heads of two hawks form the guard. Each has round eyes, a hooked beak and feather pattern ornamentation. With its ingenuous design, this hilt is a rarity in world antiquities. Remnants of the original iron blade still exist as fragments on the guard while the rest of the blade has completely disintegrated. Combining gold and iron together displays the sophisticated casting achieved by the people of the northern plain region.

Hawk head decoration is a common practice on northern Ordos bronzes. Some bronzes, gold and silver wares unearthed from Inner Mongolia show similarities to the hilt in this collection. Thus, this sword may also belong to the Ordos style as one type of its short sword.