Thanks guys. Yes, I would agree it is a HuSa dao. Hard to tell how old it is and whether the scabbard is original. The small bone (?) skulls seem like an after thought.
The partial tang has been pinned with what appear to be wooden dowels--an unusual construction on these swords as the examples I have seen previously had metal pins. The checkered horn hilt is also unusual. The decoration on the spine is consistent with other HuSa examples.
As far as age, I was thinking the first half of 20th C, but it's hard to say. If the scabbard is original, it appears to have some age.
Ian
Attached is a web photo of Husa dao taken in Dehong.
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