Quote:
|
Originally Posted by sirupate
I wonder if one of the main influences for this style of sword in Siam/Thailand, didn't stem from when Yamada Nagamasa with 800 ronin helped bring order back into Thailand after the death of King Song Thom in 1628, very nice sword btw.
|
I think that is probably the era in which the influence started, or at least gained momentum. At that time Japan was Thailand's largest trading partner (see, e.g., Cambridge History of Southeast Asia, vol. 1, pt.2, pg. 7). However, King Prasat Thong expelled the Japanese in 1632, after which China became the dominant trading partner. I am sure the trade in Japanese blades continued after that, though, because that seems to be too narrow a window to account for the influence you see. Maybe Dan remembers which King it was who required Thai decoration on Japanese blades (I don't have that detail in my notes).