Thanks Philip. As always, erudite and concise.
The reason I noted that the guard on this sword was "clearly Chinese" is that there really is no alternative explanation. Traditional Burmese dha do not have guards, and the motifs on this one are not Burmese, Shan (Tai), Lanna, Lao or Cambodian--that only leaves a Chinese origin as a reasonable possibility.
Ian.
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