Small dha (southern Laos)

[Ian]

Originally Posted by Iain

... I do think it should be 19th century at a minimum, the brass handle at the guard is quite worn, always a good sign it was used for many years. I don't think its possible to be much more precise, except to say this style certainly dates back further than that but I tend to be conservative. ... I am not saying that this daab is necessarily from Vientiane, but that some collectors identify the type with that area, personally I think it is hard to be that precise with the limited knowledge we have and a lack of pictorial or archaeological evidence. I am certainly no expert in regional attributions, but I find the regions of Lanna and Lan Xang in general to be fascinating.

Iain, well said. As for age, I agree that the style dates back to the late 17th through 19th C, and I might be a little less conservative in attributing it to the 18th C. However, as you say, it's hard to know with any certainty. Likewise the location of manufacture. I agree that the old regions of Lanna and Lan Xang are fascinating (their borders shifted back and forth so much), and it's sometimes difficult to distinguish between the two when it comes to their swords. Thanks for showing this one.