Two dao from Arunachal Pradesh
 

I was able to obtain two daos from Arunachal Pradesh. In this federal state of India living approx. 100 ethnic groups and nearly all have daos as their weapon and I think that it will be very difficult to determine the exact origin of this two dao. It was stated in other threads that this are Naga daos but when I read correct you can say only about one of this ethnic groups from Arunachal Pradesh that they belong to the Naga "family".
For Arunachal Pradesh see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arunachal_Pradesh
One of the both seems to be nearly unused while the other one shows a lot of use. Here the both side by side.
A great thank and compliment to Robert for the excellent pictures from the both swords. :) :cool:

Here some pictures from the one in down, the open scabbard is braided with with rattan, the dao is 19,5" long with a blade from 15 1/8". Handle is from wood with a cross piece from bone.

Here some more pictures from the other one, it has a blade from 16", handle is complete from bone with a ferrule from brass wire and the open scabbard is also brass braided. The blade is marked. Both blades still need a cleaning and maybe an etch.

And here some pictures with different tribes wearing similar daos.

VERY NICE PICTURES AND YOUR TWO EXAMPLES SHOULD CLEAN UP NICELY, IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE IF THE BLADES HAVE ANY PATTERN. THE WAY THEY ARE PEENED AT THE POMMEL IS UNUSUAL IT MAKES ONE WONDER IF THE TANG WAS SPLIT OR IF ANOTHER IRON SPIKE WAS DRIVEN IN TO SECURE THE HANDLE AND BONE POMMEL CAP.
REFERRING TO ALL TRIBES IN CERTIAN REGIONS AS NAGA IS A BIT LIKE REFERING TO ALL TRIBES IN AMERICA AS INDIANS. BUT WITHOUT COMPREHENSIVE KNOWLEGE OF ALL THE TRIBES IT IS OFTEN THE EASIEST. DOING THE WORK AND PROPER RESEARCH WOULD NO DOUBT TAKE MANY YEARS PERHAPS A LIFETIME. FORTUNATELY A FORUM POST SHOULD NOT NEED TO BE THAT ACCURATE OR TAKE THAT LONG AND CAN ALWAYS BE CORRECTED BY THOSE MORE KNOWLEGABLE IN THE FIELD. :)

Hello Barry,
thank you for comment. My statement about the "Naga" wasn't ment to offend you in any way. And like you said it would take a very long time to do a very good research about this area, I've spend some hours to read about the different tribes in this most interesting area and was after this more confused as before. :p Maybe this thread can bring a little bit more light inside the subject. :)

Regards,
Detlef

By the second example seems the tang to be splitted, by the first one I am very unsure. :shrug:

Here a picture from a other dao in similar style but for sure from a other tribal group which was offered by an auction recently. Sadly I wasn't able to acquire it. ;)

They look quite fresh to me.... I doubt if the blades show any pattern , but would be delighted to be proven wrong.. ;)

I think that the second example has a very good age and I am unsure about the first one, it could be that it is early collected. They maybe don't will show pattern but a hardened edge seems nearby. We will see, I certainly will show the result.

Regards,
Detlef

I look forward to the pics!

Regards,
Spiral

NO OFFENSE TAKEN. MINE WAS JUST A STATEMENT OF FACT AT LEAST IN MY VIEW. PERHAPS MY POSTS ARE NOT ALWAYS COMPLETELY ACCURATE MY OLD NAGA POST IS CERTIANLY NOT PERFECT. BUT I FEEL ITS BETTER TO PUT DOWN WHAT YOU HAVE NOW AND CORRECT OR ADD TO IT LATER THAN TO DO NOTHING. TOO MUCH KNOWLEGE HAS BEEN LOST BY HESITATING THAT WAY OVER THE YEARS. I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR TWO SWORDS CLEANED UP. :)

Thank you Barry,

will post pictures after the both have received some maintenance.

Regards,
Detlef

The first dao is cleaned up, the scabbard will need some time more. Both dao have some age, I would guess first half of 20th century, the patina at the handles and scabbards let me think like this. Special the bone pieces at the handles show a nice smooth patination.
The blade of the cleaned dao is well worked and show after a mild etch with vinegar a hamon, not continous visible since I don't have polished the blade but good visible at the tip of the blade and in the back (you are proven wrong spiral:p :D) . The blade has also a maker mark in front.
Here some pictures.

Isn't it crazy that some weapons turned up at this place several times!? ;)

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ghlight=kachin

Hi Sajen,
Nice photos you have certainly done a good restoration job when you compare with the o9riginal photos. one of the first items I purchased for my collection over 40 years ago was a Kachin / Naga Dao as I really like these no nonsense multi use weapons. Here are some photos of it as it is still in my collection.
Regards
Miguel

Thank you Miguel! :) I will provide further pictures when I finished the scabbard and cleaning the other one. They are much smaller as the heavy Kachin daos, I have one byself, sadly without scabbard.
Maybe try to clean your nice blade with steel wool and give it an etch, they have a very nice lamination.

Regards,
Detlef

Hi Detlef,
I tend to steer away from cleaning and etching as I am always concerned that I may do more harm than good but having seen the remarkable difference your handiwork produced I think that I may be tempted to try, if so, I will post some photos of the result if it turns out as well as yours.
Wishing you a Happy New Year
Regards
Miguel

Hi Miguel,

maybe try it first with a not so expensive blade, you will be surprised how easy it is and the blades win a lot of prettiness. Your Kachin dao is a very nice sword and don't show corrosion so a polish with steel wool don't will harm the blade, nothing bad can happen to this nice sword.

I wish you and your loved ones as well a Happy New Year.

Best regards,
Detlef

Miguel,
The type of blade you show is very old, somewhere I have a picture of a stone sculpture with the same weapon.
I will try to find it, and hope I have not shown it before.

Sajen, Thanks for sharing! Fantastic to know the providence. Nice handcraft. Very interesting to see this type of dao and how wide spread it was in the in the region of what is modern day northwestern India and Northern Burma! Thanks for sharing guys!

Thank you Nathaniel, these daos are seldom to seen on the market but I find them most intersting.
I've just cleaned the other blade and also this one is very well worked. I'll give it an etch the next days and will post pictures soon as possible.

Regards,
Detlef

Miguel,
This is not what I was looking for, but it has the same kind of blade.
It is shown in Memorials of the Jeypore Exhibition 1883, plate XXXI. The text says. 'Lachman Usta, maker. Armoury of H.H. The Maharaja of Jhallawar.

Hi Detlef,

Many thanks for the advice I will have a go and show the results, not for a while though as I am in the process of cataloging my collection and doing some very interesting but also very time consuming research. Thanks again for your advice.
Kind regards
Miguel

Hi Jens,

Thank you for your comments and pics you kindly posted. The bottom sword does have a similar shape to mine but it is down curved and not up curved like the Dao. It actually reminds me a little of the Kora Don't you think? I would very much like to see the sword held by the stone statue, when convenient, particularly the way it is held as this should indicate whether or not it is down curved, also the date of the statue if possible. Thanks again for your time.
Best wishes
Miguel

The other dao blade is cleaned now but not etched, here some pictures.

Hi Detlef

Have been reading through your interesting thread. I like the daos you have acquired, and as already mentioned, also find it tricky to assign these weapons to a particular tribal group from the area in question.

Thought you might like to see my example for comparison, it has a circular metal decorative element (base silver ?) attached to the belt, and the belt itself has several curious metal pieces stitched on. I've sometimes seen those metal disks attached to cane helmets from the area. Do you know anything more about them ?

Regards.

Hi Colin,

thank you very much for sharing this very interesting and old dao from your collection. Like you I've seen this disks only by helmets from this area but never at the belt from this daos. Sadly I can't tell you more. :shrug:
Again, very nice dao! Went the tang by your example also complete through the handle? Can you show a picture from the top of the handle?

Regards,
Detlef

Hi Detlef

Thanks for your comments, glad you like my dao.

The tang does not extend completely through the wooden hilt, here is an image as requested.

I can't find much information of those metal disks, seems they were purely ornamental ? I am attaching an image (entitled - A Yimchunger Naga in dancing dress) from the book "The Arts and Crafts of Nagaland" published by The Naga Institute of Culture in 1968, for information.

Regards,
Colin

Hi Colin,

thank you for the additional picture of your dao and the other interesting picture.

Regards,
Detlef