"new" Dha

[rvr]

Hello all,

Post nr 2 for me and just acquired a Dha sword in Thailand, accourding to the info i got its early 20th century from Northern Thailand, Lanna style Dha. I have seen pictures of simular hilted Dha's online but not with the small decoration at end of the hilt. Leather covered hilt with some shrinkage but seems to be original? Maybe a military Dha?
Please let me know what you think please, hope you like it, i do for sure

Regards!

[rvr]

Any observations? Know the pictures are not great but for the moment they are all i have? Any idea about age and if it it is a Northern Thai Dha?

Enjoy your weeken

[Sajen]

Hello rvr,

this dha is not a Thai daab but a Burmese dha, age ca. 1930-1945 with a very unusual scabbard. The leather cover is not used normally by the Burmese. My wild guess would be that a Japanese soldier have had this dha and have given it this scabbard. Let's see what others think about it.

Regards,
Detlef

[ausjulius]

Originally Posted by Sajen

Hello rvr,

this dha is not a Thai daab but a Burmese dha, age ca. 1930-1945 with a very unusual scabbard. The leather cover is not used normally by the Burmese. My wild guess would be that a Japanese soldier have had this dha and have given it this scabbard. Let's see what others think about it.

Regards,
Detlef

Yes can see the burmese writing on the blade

id say the leater cover is something the japanese would have done
its definitely not something the locals would do normally.
one could presume maybe that it was british who did it but brtish military use of dah have serial numbers and roof marks and such.. i could imagine them adding a more practical belt frog though but not a whole scabbard cover.. very.. japanese..

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by ausjulius

Yes can see the burmese writing on the blade

id say the leater cover is something the japanese would have done
its definitely not something the locals would do normally.
one could presume maybe that it was british who did it but brtish military use of dah have serial numbers and roof marks and such.. i could imagine them adding a more practical belt frog though but not a whole scabbard cover.. very.. japanese..

Hello Ausjulis,

thank you for confirming my guess! You're right, the writing is Burmese and the sword byself is as well typical burmese. The leather cover is what you see also by WWII shingunto, so my guess.

Regards,
Detlef

[Nathaniel]

rvr, nice dha (Burmese word for sword). Even thought not northern Thai it is a nice sword. Burmese swords tend to have shorter handles, and more likely to have a wide central fuller in later pieces. Good blade, solid piece though...functional, not just a tourist wall hanger

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by rvr

Leather covered hilt with some shrinkage but seems to be original? Maybe a military Dha?

Do you sure that the hilt is leather covered as well? Looks like brass to my eyes.

Regards,
Detlef

[Ian]

Hello rvr.

Thanks for posting this dha. As others have said, this is a Burmese style dha in what might be called the Shan/Tai form. The three segments of the hilt each of roughly equal length (metal-wood-metal) is a typical Burmese feature. The presence of a fuller is also a Burmese feature.
Since the eastern Shan States are adjacent to northern Thailand, and there is much diffusion of styles among the Shan/Tai and other groups in the area, it is perhaps not surprising that it was thought to come from northern Thailand. Basically we are talking about the so-called "Golden Triangle" area where the eastern part of the Shan States (Burma), southern Yunnan (China), northern Thailand and parts of Laos converge. As noted the leather-covered scabbard is a foreign influence, and might well be Japanese.

Nice sword from the early to mid-20th C.

Ian.

[rvr]

Hi Detlef,
Sorry i ment leather covered scabbard not hilt, hilt is indeed brass...my mistake

Ian,
thanks for the info, got the sword form a thai website that listed it as Northern Thai style but with the Golden Triangle area you mentioned i see the mixup of the dicription. Lovely area by the way
Again thank all for the help and info!
Small change i might be able to buy a Thai daab soon, if so i will post the pictures here off course...let the hunt and fun begin

Regards!

[kronckew]

i gather the japanese in burmah frequently carried burmese dha that they took off locals.

i have one that i obtained from a chindit who swore he took i off a japanese soldier who didn't need it anymore after meeting the chindit who paid him a few bullets for it.

i suspect the japanese soldier had obtained it in much the same way.

the blade has a very thick unfullered blade at the grip and is well distal tapered. it is also well decorated as per below, so i suspect the japanese person was an officer, as a nco or lower would likely not have been allowed such a fancy blade. the scabbard has seen a lot of wear & field repairs. the grip is copper with a brass bolster and a central section covered in cord wrap. the silver niello is on both sides and the spine, the spine decorations have an inlaid gold border.

edited:
i took it out of where it was stored tonite to check it. the copper on the grip & pommel has tarnished to a dark patina. i thought originally that the bolster/guard was brass. after seeing how the copper has tarnished, i now think the bright bolster may be gold, more consistent with the niello . not a spot of tarnish or discolouration.

[Andrew]

Nothing substantive to add to what has already been accurately and well-said.

Thanks for sharing this very nice example of the form.

[Gavin Nugent]

Originally Posted by kronckew

i gather the japanese in burmah frequently carried burmese dha that they took off locals.

They certainly did kronckew.

I too have an exceptional ivory & silver repousse "story Dah" with provenance as such, that and a Kukri. I also have the regulation sized timber box that it was sent back home in with all the military postage and acceptance stamps and the history behind the acquisition.

Gavin