Ɏ A DHA SWORD WITH A CARVED MARINE IVORY HANDLE, BURMA, SHAN PEOPLE, 19TH CENTURY

Ɏ A DHA SWORD WITH A CARVED MARINE IVORY HANDLE, BURMA, SHAN PEOPLE, 19TH CENTURY

The iron blade of curved form with a blood groove on both sides, fitted with a meticulously carved and pierced handle featuring two fierce looking bilu (ogres) standing atop each other and holding curling stems, framed below by a band of upright hexagons above a border of stiff petals. The sheath is made from leather-covered wood detailed with braided leafy scrolls. Provenance: From the personal estate of Dr. Otto Schwend, acquired between 1926 and 1938, and thence by descent in the same family. Martin Doustar, Brussels, acquired from the above. Dr. Otto Schwend (1892-1951), a German physician who lived in East Asia for fifteen years, first in Dongguan between 1923 and 1926, and subsequently in Bangkok, Thailand between 1926 and 1938. After serving as a military surgeon in World War I, he worked at a missionary hospital in Dongguan from 1923 and moved to Thailand three years later to open a private practice in Bangkok. As a successful doctor fluent in Chinese, he became an important figure in Bangkok, even treating members of the royal family. During his time in East Asia, Schwend built a substantial collection of Chinese and Thai art, which he brought back to Germany and has remained in the possession of his family for over 80 years. Martin Doustar is a Brussels-based art dealer and collector whose career spans more than two decades. He began his professional journey in the early 2000s with a focus on Modern Art, developing a keen interest in the ways early twentieth-century artists were influenced by ‘primitive’ art from Africa and Oceania. Over time, his connoisseurship expanded into archaeological and ethnographic fields, with particular expertise in the ancient arts of the Pacific, Africa, and pre-Columbian America, while also encompassing Asian material culture and modern masterpieces. He is the author of numerous scholarly catalogues and has organized thematic exhibitions on a wide range of subjects. Condition: Good condition with minor wear, the handle with few losses, small chips, and minor touchups. The iron blade with little corrosion and the sheath with few losses.Weight: 487 g Dimensions: Length 45.5 cmDha is the Burmese word for “sword” and is conventionally used to describe a broad range of knives and swords employed across Southeast Asia, particularly in present-day Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Yunnan, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. The widespread distribution and regional variations of the dha make a definitive attribution difficult. The form may ultimately derive from the Tai peoples, who migrated into mainland Southeast Asia from present-day Yunnan in southern China.This type of hilts were individually commissioned, no two were alike. Their elaborate decoration is often highly symbolic, incorporating motifs that may have conveyed information about the owner, status, beliefs, or intended function of the weapon.The bilu is a fearsome supernatural creature in Burmese folklore, traditionally characterized by fangs and a protruding tongue. bilu and his female counterpart, bilu ma, are malevolent spirits believed to bring misfortune, disease, and famine, prompting various forms of exorcism intended to drive them from villages. According to legend, however, the bilu were transformed after hearing the teachings of the Buddha, renouncing their evil ways and ultimately becoming defenders of the Buddhist faith.Literature comparison:Compare a related dha sword with ivory handle, dated 19th century, 17.5 cm long, in the Victoria & Albert Museum, accession number 2569&A(IS).Auction result comparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Sotheby’s Paris, 26 March 2014, lot 173Price: EUR 5,625 or approx. EUR 7,000 converted and adjusted for infla