could there be a possible connection between burmese dha and japanese katana?
 

im the late 1500's-early 1600s up to 1621 when contact/trade between the outside world and japan was suspended there was a pretty substantial trade between japan and southeast asia, this trade included the sale of japanese weapons and the hiring of japanese mercenaries (as evidenced by jan peiterzoon coen's use of them against the natives of the banda islands to secure the nutmeg trade in 1619) did some of these traded katanas/no-dachi/wakizashi, ect make their way to burma and perhaps influence the evolution of the dha or was the dha doveloped completely independent of japanese influences?



ive also seen some vietnamese swords (cochin sabers?) that had heavy japanese influence.

While some indivual examples demonstrate Japanes influence, the form originates elsewhere.

You might enjoy this article: http://www.arscives.com/historysteel...ea.article.htm

I suspect (?) the relationship goes the other way: both Burma dha and
Japanese katana influenced by Chinese swords.

Rich

There is undoubtedly some stylistic influence, particularly in some Vietnamese and Cambodian pieces that have a more uniform breadth of the blade (i.e., no "belly") and a small round guard, and there are some blades of a definite SEA style that appear to have been made using a classic Japanese differential hardening technique to create a distinct billowy hamon (see below). However, the basic blade form in all likelihood predates any significant Japanese influence, and what you see is just that, influence, not derivation. Chinese influence is very pronounced in Vietnamese "Chocin sabres."

There was an interesting historical event in Thailand, which, I think, shows the essential independence of the dha/daab as a style from the Japanese katana - Japanese-style swords had become so popular (I am without my notes at the moment, so the exact timeframe escapes me - I think it was 17th C) that the king issued an edict limiting their wearing unless they showed at least some Thai decorative features. He apparently felt that the traditional Thai daab was being threatened by the popularity of the katana.

http://www.dharesearch.bowditch.us/C0001_full.jpg
http://www.dharesearch.bowditch.us/Images/Image73.jpg

Links to a few threads discussing Japanese influence on dha/daab:

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...=Japanese+daab (see post #14 in particular)
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...=Japanese+daab
http://www.vikingsword.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/002442.html