Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - Dha-hmyaung

Ian · 2nd August 2015, 01:28 AM

Hi Robert:

Welcome to dha-land!

This knife comes from the Shan people of Burma and Southern Yunnan. Typically these have all silver clad or silver and ivory hilts, although other materials are found quite often (bone being the most common alternative).

The quality (percentage) of silver is variable, and most of these fittings are made up of thin silver sheet and fine silver wire on the scabbard with heavier silver sheet on the hilt. Battara could probably give you more accurate details of the methods used.

I suspect your example had an all silver covering over a wooden core into which the tang was fixed. The terminal silver piece may have been a mirror image of the piece adjacent to the blade or perhaps a small lotus bud. I will dig out some old pics and post them here for reference.

Ian.

2nd August 2015, 01:28 AM	#2
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,034	Hi Robert: Welcome to dha-land! This knife comes from the Shan people of Burma and Southern Yunnan. Typically these have all silver clad or silver and ivory hilts, although other materials are found quite often (bone being the most common alternative). The quality (percentage) of silver is variable, and most of these fittings are made up of thin silver sheet and fine silver wire on the scabbard with heavier silver sheet on the hilt. Battara could probably give you more accurate details of the methods used. I suspect your example had an all silver covering over a wooden core into which the tang was fixed. The terminal silver piece may have been a mirror image of the piece adjacent to the blade or perhaps a small lotus bud. I will dig out some old pics and post them here for reference. Ian.