Description:

Sword knife "dao"
Myanmar or Assam, Kachin / Karen, 19th century
L. 79,5 cm
Steel, silver, wood, pigments, ivory, rattan, predator's teeth. Typical, very beautiful and well-preserved hair knife dao of the Kachin groups from Myanmar (Burma). Heavy blade widening towards the front with a concave, indented point. Hollow-scraped sides, slightly asymmetrical cutting bevel. The long grip with the final cross-piece of ivory - an indication of a former high-ranking owner - is covered with red lacquered cord bindings in the handle area and sits in a long ferrule of silver alloy. The one-sided open scabbard with the lower end symbolising a snake's head according to ancient tradition has a strong carrying strap made of braided rattan and a very elegant notch cut in the open inside, which holds the blade. This is held in position by rattan bindings. Attached to the carrying strap are parts of big cat pine trees with a black patina. Predatory cat teeth symbolise successful warriorship with successful headhunting (as with the Dayak on Borneo) and social status.
From an old German private collection, collected since the 1950s - The EU sales licence for this lot is available - This lot cannot be exported out of the European Union

The dao is a highly developed, very efficient slashing blade, used for everything from fine everyday work to felling trees and not least as an efficient combat weapon. This is a blade form that has very old Austronesian roots and is related to other ethnic weapon forms of the Himalayas (Nepal, Kirant groups, Eastern Tibet). The best blades, which often show "hairpin damascus" (like this blade), were forged earlier in the famous forging centre of Derge and Chamdo in Tibet. Good Tibetan swords show the same techniques. They were widely famous in the past.
The Kachin live in the eastern part of Assam and Naga land and in Myanmar. Like their neighbours, the Naga, they are a very fierce and warlike ethnic group, who used to engage in headhunting and could never be subjugated. The Kachin ethnic group is one of the 135 ethnic groups in Burma/Myanmar. Many of these groups, such as the Shan, the Karen, the Mon, the Chin and the Rohingya, who are not recognised as a minority, have been insisting on more autonomy for decades. Many have formed rebel armies to realise their goals.
Dao is a generic term for blades, which is derived from the Chinese dao ("knife") and is known throughout South-East Asia

Schwertmesser "dao"
Myanmar oder Assam, Kachin / Karen, 19. Jh.
L. 79,5 cm
Stahl, Silber, Holz, Pigmente, Elfenbein, Rattan, Raubtiergebiss. Typisches, sehr schönes und guterhaltenes Haumesser dao der Kachin-Gruppen aus Myanmar (Burma). Schwere, sich nach vorn verbreiternde Klinge mit konkav eingezogenem Abschluss. Hohlgeschabte Seitenflächen, leicht asymmetrisch angesetzte Schneidfase. Der lange Griff mit dem abschließenden Querstück aus Elfenbein - Indiz für einen ehemaligen hochrangigen Besitzer - ist in Bereich der Handhabe mit rotgelackten Schnurbindungen überzogen und sitzt in einer langen Zwinge aus einer Silberlegierung. Die einseitig offene Scheide mit dem nach uralter Tradition einen Schlangenkopf symbolisierenden unteren Abschluss hat eine starkes Trageband aus geflochtenem Rattan und sehr eleganten Kerbschnitt in der offenen Innenseite, die die Klinge aufnimmt. Diese wird durch Rattan-Bindungen in Position gehalten. Am Trageband befestigt sind Teile von Raubkatzen-Kiefern, die schwarz patiniert sind. Raubkatzen-Zähne symbolisieren erfolgreiche Kriegerschaft mit erfolgter Kopfjagd (wie bei den Dayak auf Borneo) und sozialen Status.
Aus einer alten deutschen Privatsammlung, seit den 1950er Jahren gesammelt - Die EU-Verkaufsgenehmigung für dieses Lot liegt vor

Der dao ist eine hoch entwickelte, sehr effiziente Hiebklinge, die von feinen alltäglichen Arbeiten bis zum Fällen von Bäumen und nicht zuletzt als effiziente Kampfwaffe verwendet wird. Dies ist eine Klingenform, die sehr alte austronesische Wurzeln hat und mit andere

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Export to countries outside the EU are subject to the restrictions of the UNESCO convention from 1970 and the European Agreement for the Protection of Cultural Heritage from 1993. Moreover, the cites regulations are applicable. Objects with materials such as ivory or tortoise shell require a permission for export into countries outside the EU contract area due to cites regulations. We point out that such a permission is usually not given. For exports within the EU the Act to Protect German Cultural Property against Removal (Kulturgutschutzgesetz) has been in force since 6th August 2016.


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October 1, 2025 10:00 AM CEST
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Nagel Auction

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0 € 19 € 5 €
20 € 179 € 10 €
180 € 299 € 20 €
300 € 359 € 30 €
360 € 399 € 40 €
400 € 899 € 50 €
900 € 999 € 100 €
1.000 € 1.999 € 100 €
2.000 € 2.999 € 200 €
3.000 € 3.599 € 300 €
3.600 € 3.999 € 400 €
4.000 € 9.999 € 500 €
10.000 € 19.999 € 1.000 €
20.000 € 29.999 € 2.000 €
30.000 € 35.999 € 3.000 €
36.000 € 39.999 € 4.000 €
40.000 € 99.999 € 5.000 €
100.000 € 199.999 € 10.000 €
200.000 € + 20.000 €