[Ian]

I've been slow to get to this one because the hilt is a little strange.

Going back to my own examples of N. Thai/Lao dharb, I found a similar example where the rattan had been wrapped (rather than plaited in rings) around the hilt. So I think this is an example of N. Thai or nearby Lao work.

The assembly of the hilt and blade of the sword above is probably not very old. The materials in the handle look recent. The blade may be older. The small metal plate, referred to already, attached by pins to the base of the hilt next to the blade is a feature seen on several recently made Thai dharb, and even on some higher grade, old examples. Not all that unusual. The blade is clearly in the style of recently made Thai dharb, although there are older examples (early 20th C and maybe late 19th C) with a similar blade profile.

I don't think this sword is a Cochin saber. The protruding piece of wood at the end of the hilt does resemble that style, but similar features can be found on Thai and Burmese examples also, especially when a terminal ferrule has been lost.

Attached below is a picture of two swords. The top one is Lao and the bottom one, which has a rattan wrap similar to the sword that started this discussion, is from Chiang Mai in northern Thailand. Incidentally, both of these swords have small metal plates at the end of the hilt adjacent to the blade.

Larger pictures of th Chiang Mai dharb and its hilt are shown. The bare wooden area of the hilt shows where the rattan has broken off and how the binding was attached with black pitch or a similar resin.

Ian.