A very large Burmese dha

[Iain]

As the last dha I posted got a good reaction I thought members might enjoy this one as well. Quite a different animal to the petite one I last posted... this is 113cm overall and over 1kg in weight. I've included a pic to show the size difference with a few more 'typical' examples.

The blade is quite wide, fullered on the spine and in very good condition. The hilt is unusual in that the diameter is much greater than most handles, a very nicely executed lotus bud pommel.

[DhaDha]

What a beast!

[Philip]

Nice bigger-than-normal example of very good quality. Of interest is the thick blade with a fuller or channel cut along the center of the spine itself. Not a common feature, I've noticed it very occasionally over the years on a few Indian and Chinese sabers.

[Iain]

Nice bigger-than-normal example of very good quality. Of interest is the thick blade with a fuller or channel cut along the center of the spine itself. Not a common feature, I've noticed it very occasionally over the years on a few Indian and Chinese sabers.

It is a feature that seems to appear with some frequency on Burmese dha including the other example I posted a couple days ago. This particular one would have likely been owned by someone of rank within the Tatmadaw. The interactions with Qing China are particularly interesting during this period and the multiple invasion attempts. It was suggested by some contacts this particular sword is from the Ava region which would be logical as it was the capital at the time, of course there is no way to be certain.