Naga daos in Pitt-Rivers Museum, Oxford
 

1. Variety of unusual and obsolete (i.e., considered to be at time of collection) Naga daos. Note the form of the second from top resembles the two-handed Khasi sword. At lower left is an example said to be an obsolete form but resembling the specifically Kalyo-Kengyu type (and similar examples are pictured in the vintage photo on the cover of Julian Jacobs’ book).

2. Kalyo-Kengyu daos.

3. Presumably Konyak daos (not enough time to copy all the exhibit labels, I’m afraid).

4. Two particularly nice daos, the upper of which has zoomorphic incised designs on blade.

5. Kalyo-Kengyu dao, Chang dao blade with Konyak haft, and Angami dao.

More Naga daos, etc.
 

6. Four daos, including two relatively rare spade-shaped examples (see cover of Julian Jacobs’ book for comparable example).

7. Unadorned daos common to several Naga groups.

8. Khasi sword at bottom, Kachin dao above, then Lepcha ban from Sikkim, and Kukhri at top. Hilt of kora and Indian swords just visible.

Great Naga collection ...
 

of daos and related arms. The Pitt Rivers has perhaps the best musuem collection of Naga weapons anywhere, many of which were included in Rawson's book The Indian Sword. Rawson points out that the region is iron poor, and that some of the dao were made from British hoes commandeered from local tea plantations.

Thanks for posting these pictures.

Ian.

Ian, you are absolutely right! Just look at those "rare spade-shaped" examples: many a British gardener looked for the missing hoe!

That's a really nice hanshee khukuri.

Steve