[Ian]

Hello Detlef:

This certainly appears to have many of the features of an older Lao/northern Thailand daab. The hilt, although not especially long, is consistent with that origin and that particular style of rattan wrapping of a plain wooden scabbard is seen with Lao/Montagnard pieces. The blade shows a somewhat hatchet point, again consistent with Lao/Montagnard work.

Thank you also for the reference to the kingdoms of Lan Xang. I noted in particular the images of two excellent monuments to Lan Xang kings of the 14th C—King Fa Ngum and King Setthathirat—each of which is shown with a sword of similar style to the one you show. I have attached pictures from that web site of the statues and details of the swords they wear or hold.

Before we get too carried away with the possible age of your sword, however, we need to determine when these statues were made and for how long that style of sword was produced. This is clearly not a 300+ year old sword IMO. I am a little concerned about the shape of the blade, which narrows slightly as it passes from the hilt towards the tip and then widens. This feature is seen today on some swords from Thailand (especially northern Thailand) and in my experience is not found to any great degree on older Tai/Lao work. It does raise the possibility of a newer blade with an old Lao hilt. The blade has been cleaned extensively and it is hard to date it without a much closer inspection. To my eye, the hilt is the oldest piece of this daab.

Given these caveats, I think your daab could be mid- to late-19th C, possibly a little earlier, while the scabbard looks maybe late 19th C at the oldest (just judging from the patina on the rattan wrap and the fact that the rattan is still intact). There is a possibility that the daab could be a marriage of a more recent blade with an older hilt.

Pictures of the two statues of the kings are from the web site you quoted and show swords with relatively short handles that may or may not be correct for the period in which these two kings lived. The swords are definitely of Lao style, however, and are consistent with your recent purchase.

The first pictures relate to King Fa Ngum and the second set to King Setthathirat.

Ian.