Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Mark · 14th December 2004, 01:35 PM

I was going to suggest specifically Shan states in Burma, too. I have always identified the use of ray skin and this kind of simple, three-part handle with Shan swords. That is an interesting point about the relative lengths of the two tips -- I learn something new about dha every day.

Blades in Northern Burma were widely traded, and in Shan culture blacksmithing was distained as a low-class occupation (silver-smithing was the work of nobles, in their view), and better Kachin smiths made a variety of blade shapes to suit their clients. Bearing in mind that the Kachin and Shan "territories" largely overlapped, with the Kachin living in the highlands and practicing dry rice cultivation and the Shan occupying the upland river valleys and practicing wet rice cultivation. This intimate contact between the groups is probably the reason that you see a rather typical Kachin blade design with a rather typical Shan handle on this example.

14th December 2004, 01:35 PM	#5
Mark Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 987	I was going to suggest specifically Shan states in Burma, too. I have always identified the use of ray skin and this kind of simple, three-part handle with Shan swords. That is an interesting point about the relative lengths of the two tips -- I learn something new about dha every day. Blades in Northern Burma were widely traded, and in Shan culture blacksmithing was distained as a low-class occupation (silver-smithing was the work of nobles, in their view), and better Kachin smiths made a variety of blade shapes to suit their clients. Bearing in mind that the Kachin and Shan "territories" largely overlapped, with the Kachin living in the highlands and practicing dry rice cultivation and the Shan occupying the upland river valleys and practicing wet rice cultivation. This intimate contact between the groups is probably the reason that you see a rather typical Kachin blade design with a rather typical Shan handle on this example.