Dha Shay
Dha Shay
Shan - Tai- Yuan
Shan States - Upper Burma, British India (Myanmar) - Siam Kingdom (Northern Thailand) - French Protectorate of Laos (Laos) - Southern Yunnan, Qing Dynasty (China)
Late 19th - Early 20th century (ca. 1880 - 1915)
Steel, bamboo, rattan, cotton
Blade: 11 1/2" (29.2cm)
Hilt & Blade: 18" (45.7cm)
Hilt, Blade, Sheath: 19" (48.3cm)
Collection Date: 2023
Collection Number: 346
Ex. American Art Market (2023)
A small dha shay sword or large knife from the historic Burma region. The single- edged slightly upcurved steel blade with a thick spine, the tip having a sharp acute point. Cylindrical bamboo hilt completely covered in loops of braided rattan. The bamboo sheath of two halves joined together by braided rattan loops. The original red cotton baldric cord is elaboratly tied to the upper portion of the sheath. A very good and complete village grade dha small sword of the historic Burmese region.
Photograph 21: Left: A Kachin manfrom the upland regions of Burma. Right: A Karen couple in Northern Thailand, titled “Hill Tribes, Northern Siam”, ca. 1900 - 1923.
[1] https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/A_As-Bs-92-a
[2] https://www.mandarinmansion.com/item/plain-dha-baldric
[3] http://oriental-arms.co.il/item.php?id=3002