Very first Dha for comment

~Alaung_Hpaya~ · 3rd April 2007, 09:44 AM

( Let me know if I'm not allowed to do this )

This is from the gallery at Oriental Arms . The item was sold just last month.

It is again similar with the brass inlay , a rayskin grip and a rather narrow point . Like John's it has a single fuller on each side but the shape is straighter like my example. ( I wonder if the curvature on John's has increased looking at the convexity of the brass inserts in the spine ? )

Does anyone know generally ( in other cultures / other sword types ) whether the markings on the spine are simply just decoration or have a meaning of some kind. A relative of mine ( who is not a dha expert

) remembers from childhood that these notches related to use / kill / number of battles .

The writing on my item reads Inga-Bettaw Maung Thein . Inga-Bettaw sounds like a place name and Maung Thein is a person ( sword smith ? ) .

The numbers read 15 with the kyat symbol ( which looks like an o on both sides ) The symbolism is now used to denote the post colonial currency but I think in previous times could have been exclusively a measure of weight or the number of layers : kyat roughly translates as layer ( the term kyat is still used today as a measure as well as the currency ) .

The sword is very well balanced and has seen considerable use with several notches along the blade and some deeper cuts in the ferrule . The proximal third of the blade has been much sharpened and has lost some of its width as a result .

I questioned the age but was advised that it must be at least 1900 as it shares unusual stylistic similarities with a sword belonging to the Oldman collection.

It seems to be a genuine fighting dha rather than a presentation piece .

( John , Do you have a photo of the matching dha-hmyaung ? )

Another view

3rd April 2007, 09:44 AM	#8
~Alaung_Hpaya~ Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 65	( Let me know if I'm not allowed to do this ) This is from the gallery at Oriental Arms . The item was sold just last month. It is again similar with the brass inlay , a rayskin grip and a rather narrow point . Like John's it has a single fuller on each side but the shape is straighter like my example. ( I wonder if the curvature on John's has increased looking at the convexity of the brass inserts in the spine ? ) Does anyone know generally ( in other cultures / other sword types ) whether the markings on the spine are simply just decoration or have a meaning of some kind. A relative of mine ( who is not a dha expert ) remembers from childhood that these notches related to use / kill / number of battles . The writing on my item reads Inga-Bettaw Maung Thein . Inga-Bettaw sounds like a place name and Maung Thein is a person ( sword smith ? ) . The numbers read 15 with the kyat symbol ( which looks like an o on both sides ) The symbolism is now used to denote the post colonial currency but I think in previous times could have been exclusively a measure of weight or the number of layers : kyat roughly translates as layer ( the term kyat is still used today as a measure as well as the currency ) . The sword is very well balanced and has seen considerable use with several notches along the blade and some deeper cuts in the ferrule . The proximal third of the blade has been much sharpened and has lost some of its width as a result . I questioned the age but was advised that it must be at least 1900 as it shares unusual stylistic similarities with a sword belonging to the Oldman collection. It seems to be a genuine fighting dha rather than a presentation piece . ( John , Do you have a photo of the matching dha-hmyaung ? ) Another view Last edited by ~Alaung_Hpaya~; 3rd April 2007 at 03:07 PM.