Cambodian Dhas

Philip · 16th September 2007, 08:57 AM

In terms of overall form, the disc guard with oval lateral aperture as seen on Ariel's dha is something quite frequently encountered on some types of Vietnamese sabers. I think that the origin of the auxiliary apertures (there can be one or two) is definitely Japanese. As stated in Huard and Durand's CONNAISSANCE DU VIET-NAM (Hanoi: Ecole Francaise d'Extreme-Orient, 1954) p 155, there was a considerable import of Japanese swords into SE Asia in the 16th cent. Originally, the aperture(s) were to allow removal of the by-knife and skewer that are usually contained on the sides of Japanese scabbards. These accessories were not used on Vietnamese scabbards so the continued presence of the openings on locally-made versions of tsubas is for stylistic reasons only.

I have an example of a Vietnamese saber (guom) whose circular brass guard has two lateral openings. Recently I obtained several excavated bronze Vietnamese disc guards, reputedly obtained in the area of Hoi An, which boasted a resident Japanese merchant colony in the 16th-17th cent. (a covered bridge, and several graves, are extant testimonies to this community). One of the guards has a single D-shaped side opening, in this case too small to be of any functional use. Otherwise, the guard is multi-lobed with depictions of lions, dogs, and unicorns in relief, having a more Chinese flavor to the shape and art work. I have two others, both silver-inlaid copper, in which the apertures have morphed into S- and lozenge-shaped openings. Here, these also appear to be an original Japanese concept which has become modified with the strong Chinese elements which are integral parts of Vietnam's decorative arts.

16th September 2007, 08:57 AM	#7
Philip Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: California Posts: 1,036	"tsubas" in SE Asia In terms of overall form, the disc guard with oval lateral aperture as seen on Ariel's dha is something quite frequently encountered on some types of Vietnamese sabers. I think that the origin of the auxiliary apertures (there can be one or two) is definitely Japanese. As stated in Huard and Durand's CONNAISSANCE DU VIET-NAM (Hanoi: Ecole Francaise d'Extreme-Orient, 1954) p 155, there was a considerable import of Japanese swords into SE Asia in the 16th cent. Originally, the aperture(s) were to allow removal of the by-knife and skewer that are usually contained on the sides of Japanese scabbards. These accessories were not used on Vietnamese scabbards so the continued presence of the openings on locally-made versions of tsubas is for stylistic reasons only. I have an example of a Vietnamese saber (guom) whose circular brass guard has two lateral openings. Recently I obtained several excavated bronze Vietnamese disc guards, reputedly obtained in the area of Hoi An, which boasted a resident Japanese merchant colony in the 16th-17th cent. (a covered bridge, and several graves, are extant testimonies to this community). One of the guards has a single D-shaped side opening, in this case too small to be of any functional use. Otherwise, the guard is multi-lobed with depictions of lions, dogs, and unicorns in relief, having a more Chinese flavor to the shape and art work. I have two others, both silver-inlaid copper, in which the apertures have morphed into S- and lozenge-shaped openings. Here, these also appear to be an original Japanese concept which has become modified with the strong Chinese elements which are integral parts of Vietnam's decorative arts.