National Museum Bangkok
 

First batch of photos is up. These are not the photos that Mrs. Jarunee is supplying us with. She gave a broad spectrum of sword types in her database so I arranged with her to let us back in to take some more ourselves, dha specific. Let me publicly thank both Mrs. Jarunee, the Curator and Mr Somchai, the Director, for their unhesitating help in our research. Their cordial welcome and willingness to bend their schedules amidst a complete remodel of their offices was exceptional hospitality. I thank you both!

Additionally I must thank Mike Ngyuen. Mike is a regular over on SFI and we linked up in Bangkok where he is going to school. Mike picked up my slack when I couldn't get back to Bangkok for the photo shoot. He stepped into an unfamiliar situation performing over and above what would normally be expected from even the best of friends. He picked up the database, took the photos, and spent what I'm sure was a substantial amount of his own time editing and putting together this gallery.

Here's the link.
National Museum dha/darb photos

Mike please let me know if you have any problems with us capturing some of these photos. I already see some that I would like to use in a future post. This gallery will be even more important after we have the database. ;)

ENJOY!

Posting these pics was a cruel thing to do, especially at that time of the year: poor Andrew, Ian and Mark must be moaning of envy and concocting some wild schemes. Calm down, guys, remember what happened to Peter Ustinov in Topkapi!
Seriously, very nice work! I would just want some written info on at least some of these swords: age, origin, distinctive style etc. Seems to me this museum takes infinitely better care of the swords than the Royal Palace people...

GOOD GOING GUYS! I ENJOYED THE PHOTOS AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE INFORMATION ON THEM. SOME APPEAR TO BE POLE ARMS AND SOME LOOK JAPANESE AND I AM GUESSING THE LAST PICTURE IS A SHIELD. :)

More please ...
 

Dan and Mike:

You guys just keep outdoing yourselves. These pictures are excellent, but in many ways just make me want more! I am going to have to arrange some business in Bangkok and take a day or two to visit this museum.

It is gratifying to see the better state of preservation of these swords compared with those at the Royal Palace, but even so they are not all in great shape.

The breadth of styles, with some Chinese and Japanese influence apparent, is very interesting. This fits with Dan's previous comments about Thai links to Japan in particular. I'm already re-evaluating some of my swords in the light of this information.

Do you have approximate time periods for any of these? For example, early or late Ayutthaya, etc. Did you see any sword with a stone set into the end of the hilt?

What more have you guys got to show us? :D :D :D :D

Ian

Outstanding!
 

What a great variety of swords. I can't wait to cross-reference them with the database. All of this information is almost more than I can assimulate (almost .... don't stop, please!).

Yes, that is a shield (called a deng) in the last photo.

More to come
 

This only the first gallery, Mike has more to post. I've heard the sheilds referred to by many names most commonly though the square one was called "lo" and the small round one a "kaen" but as I said I've heard a variety of terms - all unfamiliar words for my limited vocab. The museum and the palace arms room have a huge collection of polearms of infinate variety but we had only so much time. I think Mike got some shots at Vimanmeg mansion also, but I talked to the people there when I took the tour and they said all their weapons came from the Grand Palace. One thing they did have that the others didn't was an entire rack of old blades, just the blades with no handle or scabbard. Most were of the same profile as the one below with extremely long thin tangs about 6". Some had two fullers, some single, some with none, but all had the same profile sans the normal belly swell and much more flexible than most of the dha I've handled. I'll post this sword later in detail but here's a shot of what I'm talking about. Oops haven't loaded those pics yet I'll edit this later and insert.

More photos
 

Mike just added the last of the photos he had from the museum. They are in the same gallery as the others it's just 41 photos larger now!

And he got some great shots of the polearms.

Mike you're the HEAT!

Super work Dan and Mike. Thanks for posting them here I have just glanced at them but cannot wait till I have time to study them further

Just curious, how large are the round shields?

Not large. Perhaps 20" from what I understand. Very much like an Indian dhal. They are called khen in Thai.

Shields
 

Mark is right on. I've seen two versions of the round shield most between 18" to 20" and a larger one about 24". The sqaure ones I've seen in many sizes but all much larger than the round ones. The one pictured in the gallery is big enough for a small man to hide behind. And then there is this strange one below, from the Lop Buri museum, that I had not seen before either in picture or illustration. It appears to be made to cover the entire length of the arm from shoulder to hand with brass studs down the center, couldn't tell what it was made of. You can just make it out under the reflection.

Does anyone know if this photo gallery is available elsewhere?