DHA ?

Royston · 17th July 2008, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RhysMichael

Dha with this style of blade are not uncommon. usually they are associated with the Kachin Look at sword 231 and 232 here
http://www.arscives.com/historysteel....swordlist.htm

Several others can be found on Marks index here
http://dharesearch.bowditch.us/SwordsFrame1Source1.htm

I have never seen one with an oval hilt but maybe others have or maybe it was originally round and was "flattened" a bit by something that happened to it

Gentlemen,

Thanks for the references, most useful.

The hilt was definitely made oval and has not been flattened. It is too uniform in construction to suggest some form of damage.

I agree with the comment about the scabbard being a later addition. It fits well enough to have been made for the sword but it does not look original.

Is there any evidence of trade between Eastern Naga's and Burma ? Is it possible that elements of weapons were copied from each other ?

regards
Royston

dennee · 17th July 2008, 03:13 PM

It seems that the Nagas were somewhat challenged for sources of iron and steel; there is the oft-told story of them fashioning 'axe' blades from British tea plantation hoe blades. There is certainly an iron-working tradition, as I recall, also strongest in the east (Kalyo-Kengyu, etc.)

A "sword dao" blade contains a fair amount of steel, and Naga blades appear to generally grow larger over time, as steel becomes more available (one need only look at the large twentieth-century sword/axe types, whose blades are at lest the same length as the hafts).

It may well be that there are characteristic eastern Naga sword-daos, but I am hesitant to suggest that the origins of the form are among that people when what we know of archaic Naga "dao" forms is different.

I suspect that the daos with the ivory pommels are Khamti, as the Khamti are known for ivory work among other things, and I have seen photos of Khamtis with similar daos.

Surely, there was trade among the neighboring peoples, just as the Akha often acquired Bhutanese swords, and the "Dafla," Mishmi, and Apa Tani had Tibetan swords and blades.

17th July 2008, 03:13 PM	#2
dennee Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: College Park, MD Posts: 186	It seems that the Nagas were somewhat challenged for sources of iron and steel; there is the oft-told story of them fashioning 'axe' blades from British tea plantation hoe blades. There is certainly an iron-working tradition, as I recall, also strongest in the east (Kalyo-Kengyu, etc.) A "sword dao" blade contains a fair amount of steel, and Naga blades appear to generally grow larger over time, as steel becomes more available (one need only look at the large twentieth-century sword/axe types, whose blades are at lest the same length as the hafts). It may well be that there are characteristic eastern Naga sword-daos, but I am hesitant to suggest that the origins of the form are among that people when what we know of archaic Naga "dao" forms is different. I suspect that the daos with the ivory pommels are Khamti, as the Khamti are known for ivory work among other things, and I have seen photos of Khamtis with similar daos. Surely, there was trade among the neighboring peoples, just as the Akha often acquired Bhutanese swords, and the "Dafla," Mishmi, and Apa Tani had Tibetan swords and blades.