Small Silver Dha

[Battara]

This is for the dha freaks........er.........the dahfia. :D

I got this dha which is small but to scale and perfect in detail and construction. No laminated blade. One friend thinks it could have been made for a woman. One of the pictures shows that it is about 12.5 inches (also in cm). What could you kind folks tell me about it?

Thanks in advance.

[Nathaniel]

Hello Jose. Nice looking little dha-hmyaung you have there :) This type of silver sword is a decorative type for ceremonials and festivals. You often see the men carrying the full length version during festival dances or along with specially occasions as a part of their traditional costume. The sword being a symbol for the male in Kachin society, maybe this little version was more likely for a Kachin boy?? This is not to say that Kachin women do not handle knives, but more utility/cooking knives...but maybe since the Kachin are known as fighters the women also carry a small knife as well? I know a Hmong friend who slept with a knife under her pillow because her grandmother had blessed it to protect her from bad dreams/ spirits!

Here are a few festival pictures I've found:

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s243/lofu6379/yunnan%20dha/ndak.jpg

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s243/lofu6379/yunnan%20dha/64.jpg

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s243/lofu6379/yunnan%20dha/148_o.jpg

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s243/lofu6379/yunnan%20dha/kachin-1.jpg

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s243/lofu6379/yunnan%20dha/kachin_1843.jpg

[Nathaniel]

Also here is a picture of a Shan Man with a very small knife on his waist:
http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s243/lofu6379/yunnan%20dha/ngs_shanman.jpg

And here is a picture of a small narrow dha-hmyaung I have:

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s243/lofu6379/yunnan%20dha/DSC_0074.jpg

[Battara]

Thank you Nathaniel. Very informative.

So this might not be a ceremonial dha dagger for a man?

[Nathaniel]

or maybe a boy :)

[aiontay]

I bought a couple of knives like that up in Lashio. The Kachins said they were boy's blades.

The larger n thu (swords) in the pictures these days are "wedding" swords. At the marriage ceremony, the wife get a ring and the woman give the man a n htu and a n hpye (shoulder bag) like those in the pictures. However, shoulder bags are carried and used by everyone, both men and women. I've got at least four of them myself.