Ethnographic Arms & Armour
 

Go Back   Ethnographic Arms & Armour > Discussion Forums > Ethnographic Weapons
FAQ Calendar Today's Posts Search

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Old 30th March 2017, 05:53 AM   #1
Ian
Vikingsword Staff
 
Ian's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: The Aussie Bush
Posts: 4,194
Default Burmese fighting dha

I bought this one from Mr Artzi Yarom (Oriental Arms) about eight years ago. What attracted me to it was the unusual shape of the tip for a Burmese sword--I have not seen another one like it on a Burmese dha, although there are Thai examples with similar "sheep's foot" tips.

After talking with other people about this sword, it appears that it was most likely a Burmese military dha from the late 18th C or first half of the 19th C. The sword is blade heavy in the hand and has a hardened edge--in Thai it would be called a daab dang slong hua to ("cleaver head sword") and was used with a dang (shield). Such swords used with shields by the Thai Ayutthaya and Rattanakosin armies were vanguard troops' swords who were up ahead clearing the enemy so that the following army would not be ambushed; they were slaughter swords for killing and the reason for the forward weight was for chopping and doing maximum damage with single handed blows, while parrying with the dang. It is likely that the Burmese had similar front line troops using similar weapons.

The presence of a simple V-grind to the blade and the absence of fullers are consistent with the Shan as possibly the source for the blade, while the hilt is a fairly standard Burmese arrangement that could be Shan or from another Burmese group.

The pics show this is clearly an old sword with a well forged blade that has a hardened edge and peaked spine over the distal 3/4 of the blade (including the tip). Everything is still tight and this 200-year old fighter could probably still go a few rounds.

OAL = 72 cm
Blade = 52 cm
Thickness at forte = 0.8 cm
Maximum width = 3 cm

Ian.

-----------------Attachments-----------------

.
Attached Images
      

Last edited by Ian; 30th March 2017 at 04:18 PM. Reason: Added dimensions
Ian is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 30th March 2017, 06:26 AM   #2
Ian
Vikingsword Staff
 
Ian's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: The Aussie Bush
Posts: 4,194
Default Another one

I must amend my comment about this sword being the only one I have seen with this tip style. Here is a link to another one, albeit a little different and somewhat larger, on Gavin Nugent's site among his "Sold Items."

http://www.swordsantiqueweapons.com/s1078_full.html
"A good rare 19th century fighting sword from Burma.

This very heavy sword or Dha measures 82cms long overall.
The blade measures 60cms long with a 1.5cm thick spine.
The hilt is a timber core, likely being bamboo. To each end of the hilt are thick tapering iron end caps and a ray skin covered grip.
The gently curving blade is of an unusual form and very thick and heavy. The tip is of the type typically seen on the Mead and Nep knives of the regions. The spine has a central raised medial ridge running the entire length of the blade, right through to the very tip of the cutting edge.

A very good fighting sword of a very rare form."
Ian.

P.S. Here is a pic from that site showing the similar sword.

-------------Attachment--------------

.
Attached Images
 

Last edited by Ian; 30th March 2017 at 10:30 PM. Reason: Added picture and quote from original site
Ian is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 30th March 2017, 09:04 PM   #3
DhaDha
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 165
Default

Love the blades on these!
DhaDha is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 30th March 2017, 10:28 PM   #4
Ian
Vikingsword Staff
 
Ian's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: The Aussie Bush
Posts: 4,194
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by DhaDha
Love the blades on these!
Thanks Dhadha. Yes, simple, well made, and highly functional.
Ian is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 1st April 2017, 02:32 PM   #5
Kubur
Member
 
Kubur's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 2,145
Default

Hi Ian,
It's very interesting.
Can you tell me more about this one?
The tip is different, but the whole sword is very similar.
Best,
Kubur
Attached Images
    
Kubur is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 1st April 2017, 03:50 PM   #6
Ian
Vikingsword Staff
 
Ian's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: The Aussie Bush
Posts: 4,194
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kubur
Hi Ian,
It's very interesting.
Can you tell me more about this one?
The tip is different, but the whole sword is very similar.
Best,
Kubur
Hi Kubur:

The one you show has some important differences. First, it has a prominent and wide fuller running the length of the blade. That excludes the Shan as the makers of this blade because they don't use fullers on their swords or knives. Second, as you noted, the tip is concave and not convex like the two examples I showed above. And lastly, the hilt is a little different also, having longer brass ferrules, a shorter ray skin grip, and a small bulbous protrusion on the pommel. The scabbard has been wrapped with fairly flat bands of copper alloy (brass?) and at the throat the piece has scalloped edges suggesting a Chinese influence.

What you have is a much more common style of Burmese sword, which typically has a concave or flat tip. This one might be Burman in manufacture but more likely, I think, the blade originated in Yunnan. The HuSa, for example, make similar blades and have done for centuries. The Burmans often imported blades, so that may be the case here. Similar styles of swords are seen among the Kachin too, but they are usually straight rather than curved like this one.

The presence of large fullers on either side of the blade would reduce the blade's weight considerably, and make the sword lighter and less "blade heavy" in the hand. The two above are deliberately made "blade heavy" for a single-handed chopping action. I think the sword you show likely was made for a different style of fighting.

Your sword was probably made in the late 19th C or early 20th C.

Ian.

Last edited by Ian; 1st April 2017 at 04:00 PM.
Ian is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 12:15 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Posts are regarded as being copyrighted by their authors and the act of posting material is deemed to be a granting of an irrevocable nonexclusive license for display here.