The Greatest Arms Shop - Something for Everyone.

Mark · 30th August 2005, 07:58 PM

I was inspecting the cartouche on the blade of Andrew's "Oldman" dha, and it struck me that it may well be a date written in Burmese numerals. They are very stretched out vertically, but I believe they read 1242 (if I am right, the first numeral should be a left-facing crescent, the second like the letter J without the cross at the top, the third sort of like a 9 but with an open loop, and the fourth again like a J). The Burmese calendar is based on the Chulasakarat Buddhist era, which adds 638 to the Western calendar. So if this is a date, it would be 1880.

It also looks vaguely like the Western date 1751, but I think it more likely is a Burmese date.

Do you have any close-ups of the cartouche, Andrew? I blew up a section of your picture, but it is pretty blurry.

30th August 2005, 07:58 PM	#6
Mark Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 987	A date on Andrew's dha? I was inspecting the cartouche on the blade of Andrew's "Oldman" dha, and it struck me that it may well be a date written in Burmese numerals. They are very stretched out vertically, but I believe they read 1242 (if I am right, the first numeral should be a left-facing crescent, the second like the letter J without the cross at the top, the third sort of like a 9 but with an open loop, and the fourth again like a J). The Burmese calendar is based on the Chulasakarat Buddhist era, which adds 638 to the Western calendar. So if this is a date, it would be 1880. It also looks vaguely like the Western date 1751, but I think it more likely is a Burmese date. Do you have any close-ups of the cartouche, Andrew? I blew up a section of your picture, but it is pretty blurry. Attached Images