Important Collection of Antique Asian Arms
Lot 89:
Nice Indonesian Kalimantan, Borneo MANDAU Sword of Dayak Headhunters ~ Layered Steel Blade.A distinctive Bornean sword of the Iban Dayak, called a Mandau, these swords arefound throughout institutional and private collections in varying degrees of quality. They aredistinguished by a set of similar features, all varying in the level of quality of the constructions, materials, and workmanship. The Mandau blade has a convex shape on one side and somewhatconcave on the other. The blades are often made of tempered metal and in some cases maydisplay a lamellar pattern, similar to the pamor found on Indonesian kris blades, though this ishighly uncommon. The hilts are often delicately carved with various carving varying across themany tribes of the Dayak, but often depict creatures or anthropomorphic deities. This prominentand widespread theme of the art of Borneo combines the attributes of the dog and dragon in asingle creature called an aso and signifies protection and status. The use of the image istraditionally restricted to the upper class (Alpert 2013).Some mandaus are also found with a side knife called a pisau raut (pisau meaning ‘knife’; rautmeaning ‘rattan’) and are used as whittling-knife that serves as a tool to prepare the rattan foundlocally with the mandau and used for repair and construction. These knives are placed in thesame sheath as the mandau, but mainly used for woodworking and working the rattan used tobind scabbards and other utilitarian objects.This example in the Schmiedt Collection for example has fine carved hilt, though not to the levelof the finest carved Mandau hilts, and comes with an original piso raut. The blade is a relativelysimple style without the complex iron carving found on other Mandau swords, and whichaccording to Shelford (1901) transcribing the Kajamans of the Belaga district is referred to assong bila, referring to the smooth slope of the blade.The scabbard in wood, bound with rattan, while the hilt has inset plugs of animal or human hairtinted red.Likely dating to the mid-20th century.Total Length (inside scabbard if present) : 24 1/2" Blade Length : 17 1/2"References:1. Schefold, R. Alpert, S. (2013) Eyes of the Ancestors: The Arts of Island SoutheastAsia. New Haven and London: Yale University Press2. Van Zonneveld, A.G. (2002). Traditional Weapons of the Indonesian Archipelago.Koninklyk Instituut Voor Taal Land3. Heppell, M., et al, (2005) Iban Art: Sexual Selection and Severed Heads, C.Zwartenkot/Kit Publishers4. Sellato, B. (ed.), Plaited Arts from the Borneo Rainforest, NIAS Press, 20125. Fischer, H.W. (1909) Katalog des ethnographischen Reichsmuseums- Die Inselnringsum Sumatra, (vol. 4, Leiden)6. Shelford, R. (1901) A provisional classification of the swords of the Sarawak tribes.Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland. Vol. 31.Detailed condition reports are not included in this catalog. For additional information, including condition reports, please contact us at [email protected]
Share this lot:
