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#1 |
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 987
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I thought that I would share a recent addition to my collection. It is a Burman dha (from Burma, specifically the Burman people). The pierced ivory work of the handle is wonderfully intact, and I understand is a style characteristic of Molmein, in southern Burma (near the peninsula). Ivory carving has apparently died out in Molmein itself, but the tradition continues in Rangoon. I have another dha with the same style handle, which has a sleeping Buddha reclining inside, and similar-looking characters peaking out of the vines, but I can't make out if the figure inside this one is sleeping (it looks kind of like it is climbing or standing on a rock).
The blade is a bit extraordinary, as it has a very sharp back edge to it - the first I have seen. Its well made, with sandwich construction (jiagang), jist a narrow edge of the harder inner layer of steel visible. The scabbard I am sure is a later replacement, but was done carefully to match the original decoration on the handle. A give-away is that the throat of the scabbard was made narrow, instead of round with a width even with the face of the handle. |
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#2 |
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 692
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Congratulations Mark! The nicest I've seen!
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#3 |
(deceased)
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: East Coast USA
Posts: 3,191
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Sweet piece! Hope you got a good rate on that second mortgage on your house
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#4 |
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Posts: 5,503
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Beautiful dha, Mark.
I think the reason why it is so intact is that it was not a "fighter": it has "Take care!!!" written all over it. |
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#5 | |
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Virginia
Posts: 520
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#6 |
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Posts: 940
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Hey Mark, Whatta tryin' to do, get me started collecting dha?
![]() Absolutely beautiful. |
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#7 |
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Australia
Posts: 371
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Outstanding Mark, really outstanding. The cross section of the blade is not immediately obvious (well to me at least), can you describe it please.
drd |
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#8 |
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 987
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It is essentially lens shaped. It has a back edge the entire length of the blade (also pretty unusual - usually the first 1/2 - 2/3 is flat, rounded or peaked), with the last 1/3 or so being fully sharpened.
The tip, by the way, would be huabua, if it were a Thai blade. Note the likke "beak" at the apex of the top. I don't know what it would be called in Burmese, though. |
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#9 |
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Oahu, Hawaii
Posts: 166
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Once again you make me jealous. It'll make a nice "set". I saw a matched set of dha at the River City market with this same pierced carving, but the blade and scabbard were definately Ayuttaya style (probably a comissioned set).
The info you gave about the location of the carving was interesting also. I'm wondering if some of that expertice filtered south into Thailand. The reason I say that is in the last few years in Thailand a cottage industry of this type of 3D "in depth" carving on teak has sprung up. I've just purchased a table top sized piece that features a battle scene between monsters and humans and it is carved from a single piece of teak about 8" thick. It shows the same aspects of carving techniques. All of these pieces come from carving "camps" up near Chiang Mai (near the Burmese border) and can take anywhere from 3 to 8 months to finish. Still looking for someone to finish the ivory carving on my matched set before I'll show them. Dan |
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#10 |
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 485
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hi mark,
i seem to remember seeing a burmese ivory knife. it had a carved handle and an ivory blade (so, a large paper knife?). but, the style was of the same type of work (pierced) and the fact that is didnt have a steel blade was meaningless, as it was created for an exhibition to show the artisans craft. best thing, though, is that the name of the artisan was given and also his location (a place in burma). i can try and back track where i saw this, but am pretty sure is was H.H.Coles photographic plates from the simla exhibiton (in the 1880s). am going by memory, but maybe it will give a location for a style of work (even if it isnt the same as yours, it will be of a particualr style seen elsewhere on dhas) |
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#11 | |
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: USA
Posts: 1,725
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Mark, that is an absolutely exquisite sword. The sharpened back edge is fantastic. Did Philip polish this for you? |
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#12 | |
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 987
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Thanks. Yes, Philip did the polish.
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