Dha for comment
 

Just picked this up off Ebay. It has an interesting mix of design features such as the hairpin blade, silver work, and strange jagged carving on the shoulder-carry open-scabbard. Photos are from the Ebay sell page.

Hi Jeff,

Would agree with Kai, look like you have got a nice Achang HuSa dao! ;)

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...highlight=husa

Regards,
Detlef

Hi Jeff,

While the maker of this blade is most likely from Yunnan, the customer was probably some distance from the HuSa homeland. There are Achang living in northern Burma/Assam. These long-bladed, straight, square-ended dha/dao are most commonly found in Assam and north-west Yunnan. The most common group in Yunnan to use this type pf sword are the Lisu (who are related ethnically to the Kachin). Scabbards are typically open-faced, and the toe projects well beyond the end of the blade.

You have found a nice example. The hilt looks to be Shan in style, and there is a close relationship between the Shan and Achang in south-western Yunnan.

Ian.

Very cool sword. Do I understand correctly that Robert did the silver restoration work on the scabbard?


Thanks Ian. Great info.

Hi Jeff,

Thank you! :) Yes, Robert did the restoration of the scabbard and worked the fittings new from brass, they are silver washed.

Regards,
Detlef

silly question perhaps but why are these weapons not pointed ?
From an attacking perspective you lose one functionality I would say..
and it would require more force to thrust it into an opponent's body...

History and tradition. Many of these weapons were adapted from tools used mainly for chopping. The resulting swords were either a combination tool/weapon or weapons based on tools. Some Mainland SE Asian swords are indeed pointed, such as most Burmese and Shan dha, and Thai/Lao daab. These were used for both slashing and stabbing, although slashing was probably used more commonly against lightly armored opponents.

Regarding the tool origin. I did some field work a few year back in northern Myanmar. The Kachin (Rowang) with us had small working daos (made from blanks purchased in Putao market). The lower corner of the squared tip provides a vertical aligned point that they frequently used to to "spear" and pick up chunks of firewood with an easy downward chopping motion. A useful feature for a general purpose tool.

Any thoughts on what was set in the two round depressions on the scabbard foot? There is a gummy resin at the bottom that was likely the adhesive used. One of these has shiny foil-like residue stuck to the resin.
Incidentally I found another example of this scabbard style on Ashoka Arts website.

Those depressions contained circular raised metal button like fixtures.