Interesting dha

[Ian]

Just to highlight the ambiguity that exists between designating dha as "Kachin" or "Shan," consider this example that has extensive silver work on the hilt and scabbard.

The blade is clearly in the straight, narrow, square-ended style that we associate with the Kachin and it has a characteristic Burmese hilt with the symmetrical silver ferrules flanking a silver wire mesh central section. Ten years ago, I would not have disagreed with anyone who called this a Kachin dha. But I don't think that is the correct designation today.

Instead, I would call it a Burmese (Shan) dha made in the Kachin style. Why Shan? Because of the silver decorations on the scabbard, which are very similar in style to the decorations on sword C0052 in the Dha Index. Note particularly on the one shown here the UUUUUUU wire design on the silver ferrules of the hilt which is also seen on the top and bottom pieces of the scabbard in the pictures below. The sword and scabbard came from the same place and I have no doubt that they are original because the sword fits perfectly in this scabbard. An excellent example of Shan work IMO.