Naga axe for comment

Rick · 15th July 2005, 02:19 PM

Stefan recently sold one IIRC , the same animal no ? :
http://www.ashokaarts.com/edgedweapons/ew-20.htm

dennee · 15th July 2005, 04:35 PM

Those are nice daos.

Many of the Naga daos did not have a scabbard or sheath-type holder, but rather a wooden "block" suspended from the small of the back with a slot cut through one way for suspension from a belt and another cut perpendicular for the blade to go through (with the wider handle preventing the whole dao from slipping downward through the hole). There are plenty of historic photos depicting them.

The brass-hilted dao with the unusually shaped blade is from the Shendu people, as is the Ashoka Arts example (an item that I was considering purchasing, incidentally).

And Lew's upper dao is more characteristic of the Kachins and nearby peoples. I have yet to see a photo of a Naga carrying such a weapon. I would be very appreciative if someone could uncover such photo documentation. Sometimes the Naga dao blades approach the proportions of the Kachin daos (and so, in some photos, only the blade being exposed, one might jump to such a conclusion), but the handles are different in proportion, shape and decoration if not materials.

dennee · 15th July 2005, 04:41 PM

Oh, and they were both tools and weapons. The Nagas were headhunters as well as agriculturalists and "gatherers."

I rather like and agree with Tim referring to these as "axes," because in form and function they are closer to an axe, in my opinion, than to a sword, which is implied by the term "dao."

15th July 2005, 02:19 PM	#1
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,336	Stefan recently sold one IIRC , the same animal no ? : http://www.ashokaarts.com/edgedweapons/ew-20.htm

15th July 2005, 04:35 PM	#2
dennee Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: College Park, MD Posts: 186	Those are nice daos. Many of the Naga daos did not have a scabbard or sheath-type holder, but rather a wooden "block" suspended from the small of the back with a slot cut through one way for suspension from a belt and another cut perpendicular for the blade to go through (with the wider handle preventing the whole dao from slipping downward through the hole). There are plenty of historic photos depicting them. The brass-hilted dao with the unusually shaped blade is from the Shendu people, as is the Ashoka Arts example (an item that I was considering purchasing, incidentally). And Lew's upper dao is more characteristic of the Kachins and nearby peoples. I have yet to see a photo of a Naga carrying such a weapon. I would be very appreciative if someone could uncover such photo documentation. Sometimes the Naga dao blades approach the proportions of the Kachin daos (and so, in some photos, only the blade being exposed, one might jump to such a conclusion), but the handles are different in proportion, shape and decoration if not materials.

15th July 2005, 04:41 PM	#3
dennee Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: College Park, MD Posts: 186	Oh, and they were both tools and weapons. The Nagas were headhunters as well as agriculturalists and "gatherers." I rather like and agree with Tim referring to these as "axes," because in form and function they are closer to an axe, in my opinion, than to a sword, which is implied by the term "dao."