Sword from Laos

micas · 23rd August 2005, 07:30 PM

Hey all. Was led to this site during googling of sword topics. Interest spurred by my purchase of a sword in Laos as a memento. I'm by no means an expert. Any comments appreciated.

Rick · 23rd August 2005, 07:40 PM

Hi Micas and welcome to the forum,

For starters .

http://dharesearch.bowditch.us/

The "Dhafia" here

will I'm sure be along shortly to answer any questions you might have .

Ian · 23rd August 2005, 08:57 PM

Hi Micas:

I guess I qualify as one of the "dha guys."

Welcome to the forum and you are off to a flying start with a question about dha! What you have is an early 20th C. dha in the Thai style. The slightly flared handle, the blade that increases in width and then tapers to the point. The scabbard, with typical cord suspension system (baldric), is held together by the standard plaited rattan strips. decoration on the blade is similar to recent Thai blade designs.

If you are interested in a discussion of recently made Thai darb, you can find more information here: Contemporary Thai swords

Your sword is older than those recent Thai examples and of better quality. I'm sure your blade would be well tempered and the decorations are typical of pieces from the late 19th/early 20th C. in the NE Burma/N Thai/Laos area (often termed the "hill tribe" region). This style of blade probably traces its historical origins to the Shan people, but subsequently a much wider set of ethnic groups adopted this basic form.

What sets your sword apart as Lao rather than Thai is the provenance (you purchased it in Laos), the old French Indochine coin, and the black lacquer on the scabbard and hilt. The use of black lacquer on hilts and scabbards seems to be more common in Laos and neighboring areas, than in Thailand or Burma.

Hope this is helpful and gets you started on learning more about your sword.

Ian.

Mark · 23rd August 2005, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick

Hi Micas and welcome to the forum,

For starters .

http://dharesearch.bowditch.us/

The "Dhafia" here

will I'm sure be along shortly to answer any questions you might have .

So we have gone from being the cute and cuddly "Dha Guys" to being an organized sword syndicate? Fugettaboutit!

That is a nice piece you have there, micas. It is a style typical of the working dha of the "northern" Tai (Tai yuan), called Shan by the Burmese, and including the Lao. This style is seen all over the northern-ish part of continental Southeast Asia, meaning northeastern and eastern Myanmar (Burma), northern Thailand, Laos, and likely Yunnan province in China though we don't have any well-provinanced swords from that particular area. The coin substantiates the Laotian provinance, as most of Laos was part of French Indochina.

The vine motif, the rattan-wrapped grip, rattan bindings on the scabbard, the blade profile and scabbard shape (with rounded tip) make up the "suite" of traits characteristic of this style. I would say that the coin is original, and more-or-less contemporary with the sword. Its possible that it is post-WWII, but my guess based on the patina and wear, and the condition of the cord baldric (also original from appearances) is early 20th C. The incised decoration on the blade is rather nice, and does not appear to have been simply stamped in, as you see in recent blades. The black coating on the grip and scabbard is something that Ian has identified as being characteristic of dha from Cambodia (and I think Laos as well -- correct me if I am wrong Ian). It seems to be something the eastern-most users of dha did with their swords.

If you give me some dimensions and other vital statistics, and your permission, I'll put it on my web site (its the one Rick linked, above). There is a page there with directions about submitting swords.

Ba-da-bing

Mark · 23rd August 2005, 09:03 PM

micas · 24th August 2005, 05:57 PM

Thanks all for the great info. I'm glad it turned out to be genuine.

Mark, feel free to use the pics on your site. I mailed off the sword for home and can't provide dimensions at the moment.

Might get a chance to purchase more swords in Philippines and Myanmar as these are my next places to visit. Will be sure to share with the folks here!

Mark · 24th August 2005, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by micas

Thanks all for the great info. I'm glad it turned out to be genuine.

Mark, feel free to use the pics on your site. I mailed off the sword for home and can't provide dimensions at the moment.

Might get a chance to purchase more swords in Philippines and Myanmar as these are my next places to visit. Will be sure to share with the folks here!

Excellent. If you visit any museums in Myanmar and see any dha, be sure to take pictures!

Andrew · 24th August 2005, 08:22 PM

Another member of the "dhafia" checking in.

I've been traveling, and haven't been able to respond to posts or emails recently.

Nice sword. I particularly covet these weapons with coin handle caps (I hesitate to term them "pommels" anymore, as they really don't serve such a function). I've got a few with similar coins, and the provenance they contribute can be very helpful, even if not always definitive.

Otherwise, I agree with the prior comments.

RhysMichael · 24th August 2005, 10:20 PM

A very nice sword. The coin is a nice touch. I do not have any with coins but have seen a few. Its hard for me to see how the random S's seen in the contemporary stuff could ever be mistaken for the well places patterns we see on these swords. Thanks for posting it

23rd August 2005, 07:30 PM	#1
micas Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 30	Sword from Laos Hey all. Was led to this site during googling of sword topics. Interest spurred by my purchase of a sword in Laos as a memento. I'm by no means an expert. Any comments appreciated. Attached Images

23rd August 2005, 07:40 PM	#2
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,291	This Might Help Hi Micas and welcome to the forum, For starters . http://dharesearch.bowditch.us/ The "Dhafia" here will I'm sure be along shortly to answer any questions you might have .

23rd August 2005, 09:03 PM	#5
Mark Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 987	Dha Guys are swarming!

23rd August 2005, 08:57 PM	#3
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,197	Hi Micas: I guess I qualify as one of the "dha guys." Welcome to the forum and you are off to a flying start with a question about dha! What you have is an early 20th C. dha in the Thai style. The slightly flared handle, the blade that increases in width and then tapers to the point. The scabbard, with typical cord suspension system (baldric), is held together by the standard plaited rattan strips. decoration on the blade is similar to recent Thai blade designs. If you are interested in a discussion of recently made Thai darb, you can find more information here: Contemporary Thai swords Your sword is older than those recent Thai examples and of better quality. I'm sure your blade would be well tempered and the decorations are typical of pieces from the late 19th/early 20th C. in the NE Burma/N Thai/Laos area (often termed the "hill tribe" region). This style of blade probably traces its historical origins to the Shan people, but subsequently a much wider set of ethnic groups adopted this basic form. What sets your sword apart as Lao rather than Thai is the provenance (you purchased it in Laos), the old French Indochine coin, and the black lacquer on the scabbard and hilt. The use of black lacquer on hilts and scabbards seems to be more common in Laos and neighboring areas, than in Thailand or Burma. Hope this is helpful and gets you started on learning more about your sword. Ian.

24th August 2005, 05:57 PM	#6
micas Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 30	Thanks all for the great info. I'm glad it turned out to be genuine. Mark, feel free to use the pics on your site. I mailed off the sword for home and can't provide dimensions at the moment. Might get a chance to purchase more swords in Philippines and Myanmar as these are my next places to visit. Will be sure to share with the folks here!

24th August 2005, 08:22 PM	#8
Andrew Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: USA Posts: 1,725	Another member of the "dhafia" checking in. I've been traveling, and haven't been able to respond to posts or emails recently. Nice sword. I particularly covet these weapons with coin handle caps (I hesitate to term them "pommels" anymore, as they really don't serve such a function). I've got a few with similar coins, and the provenance they contribute can be very helpful, even if not always definitive. Otherwise, I agree with the prior comments.

24th August 2005, 10:20 PM	#9
RhysMichael Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Virginia Posts: 520	A very nice sword. The coin is a nice touch. I do not have any with coins but have seen a few. Its hard for me to see how the random S's seen in the contemporary stuff could ever be mistaken for the well places patterns we see on these swords. Thanks for posting it