Burma Naval Dha??

[David]

Originally Posted by carlitobrigante

The more info i get the more it seems it is 19th century from the native naval forces stationed on the irriwaddy river to protect traders etc. Ive been given some good sources of books where they are mentioned so time to hit the research trail!

Are you thinking then that this belonged to a member of some form of Burmese navy before the British arrived. That would be 1886, with guerrilla resistance continuing for about 4 or so years.
I find the form of the anchor interesting if indeed this is from a native navy pre-1886. The form of anchor as we recognize it is not really that old. The first anchor with curved arms was 1813 and this anchor seems to show further development that wouldn't take place until past the middle of the 19th century. Add to that that these anchor developments came from the then rulers of the seas, the good ol' British Empire. So it seems a bit odd to me that an anchor like this would become a symbol for a native Burmese navy so relatively soon after it's very Western development.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Anchor