Burman dha with ivory handle

[Andrew]

Originally Posted by Mark Bowditch

I thought that I would share a recent addition to my collection. It is a Burman dha (from Burma, specifically the Burman people). The pierced ivory work of the handle is wonderfully intact, and I understand is a style characteristic of Molmein, in southern Burma (near the peninsula). Ivory carving has apparently died out in Molmein itself, but the tradition continues in Rangoon. I have another dha with the same style handle, which has a sleeping Buddha reclining inside, and similar-looking characters peaking out of the vines, but I can't make out if the figure inside this one is sleeping (it looks kind of like it is climbing or standing on a rock).

The blade is a bit extraordinary, as it has a very sharp back edge to it - the first I have seen. Its well made, with sandwich construction (jiagang), jist a narrow edge of the harder inner layer of steel visible.

The scabbard I am sure is a later replacement, but was done carefully to match the original decoration on the handle. A give-away is that the throat of the scabbard was made narrow, instead of round with a width even with the face of the handle.

Mark, that is an absolutely exquisite sword. The sharpened back edge is fantastic. Did Philip polish this for you?

[Mark]

Thanks. Yes, Philip did the polish.

Originally Posted by Andrew

Mark, that is an absolutely exquisite sword. The sharpened back edge is fantastic. Did Philip polish this for you?