Long-handled sword with Dutch blade

Long-handled swords such as this were used for fighting on elephant back. The blade of this sword is inscribed on both sides with the date 1757 and a variation of the monogram of the Dutch East India Company. To the initials VOC (Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie) have been added two strokes to transform the lower part of the V into an M, for Middelberg, one of the offices of the company. By 1757 the Dutch had been active as traders in Siam for more than 150 years. They provided to the court in Ayutthaya luxury goods from India, China, and Japan that they had acquired by exchange as well as goods manufactured in The Netherlands itself, such as ceramic tiles and weapons.

The handle, collar, and blade of this sword do not fit together perfectly; in this condition it would have been sturdy enough for parade use but not for combat. When the components were assembled is not known. The guard closely resembles a Japanese sword guard (tsuba) in shape and decoration but was not made with Japanese techniques and is presumably a local copy of a Japanese model.