Korean or Khmer sword.

ariel · 1st February 2019, 06:32 PM

IMHO, this is a typical SE Asian Dha ( OK, purists: Daab:-)

There are limited data on Korean swords of Joseon dynasty, but certain simple points do apply.
Korean Geom was an awfully spartan and down-to-earth relative of its Japanese counterpart,- Katana. Both had blades attached to the handles with a "rivet", only in Japanese version it was removable ( mekugi), whereas in Korea it was dead-set. Here there is no " rivet" at all: likely use of a mastique as the blade holder. Korean swords had very little or no embellishments to the point of often having bare wood handles. This one has profuse silver foil with typical SE Asian motives.
Blade geometry is not Japanese or Korean ( wide fuller reminds me of a reworked European????)
Finally, rattan wrapping is neither Japanese nor Korean feature: SE Asia at her purest, from Assam to Philippines.

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1st February 2019, 06:32 PM	#2
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	IMHO, this is a typical SE Asian Dha ( OK, purists: Daab:-) There are limited data on Korean swords of Joseon dynasty, but certain simple points do apply. Korean Geom was an awfully spartan and down-to-earth relative of its Japanese counterpart,- Katana. Both had blades attached to the handles with a "rivet", only in Japanese version it was removable ( mekugi), whereas in Korea it was dead-set. Here there is no " rivet" at all: likely use of a mastique as the blade holder. Korean swords had very little or no embellishments to the point of often having bare wood handles. This one has profuse silver foil with typical SE Asian motives. Blade geometry is not Japanese or Korean ( wide fuller reminds me of a reworked European????) Finally, rattan wrapping is neither Japanese nor Korean feature: SE Asia at her purest, from Assam to Philippines.