Important Collection of Antique Asian Arms
Lot 90:
Very Good Indonesian Kalimantan, Borneo MANDAU Sword of Dayak Headhunters ~ Layered Steel Blade ~ First Half of 20th C.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 details varyingacross the many tribes of the Dayak, but often depict creatures or anthropomorphic deities. Themost common carving depicts an Aso or dragon dog motif such as on this example.Some mandaus are also found with a side knifecalled a pisau raut (pisau meaning ‘knife’; rautmeaning ‘rattan’) and are used as whittling-knife thatserves as a tool to prepare the rattan found locallywith the mandau and used for repair andconstruction. These knives are placed in the samesheath as the mandau.This example in the Schmiedt Collection forexample has finely carved hilt, though not to thelevel of the finest carved Mandau hilts, and comeswith an original piso raut. The hilt displays a designelement found on other Mandau, namely the carvingof leeches, which as bloodsucking creatures wereconsidered appropriate for a headhunter warriorssword. The blade is a relatively simple style withoutthe complex iron carving found on other Mandauswords. The scabbard in wood, bound with rattanand covered in animal fur, while the hilt has insetplugs of animal or human hair tinted red.According to Shelford (1901) transcribing the Kajamans of the Belaga district is referred to as song bila, referring to the smooth slope of the blade.Likely dating to the first half of the 20th century.Total Length (inside scabbard if present) : 28 3/4" Blade Length : 19 1/2" References:1. Van Zonneveld, A.G. (2002). Traditional Weapons of the Indonesian Archipelago.Koninklyk Instituut Voor Taal Land2. Heppell, M., et al, (2005) Iban Art: Sexual Selection and Severed Heads, C.Zwartenkot/Kit Publishers3. Sellato, B. (ed.), Plaited Arts from the Borneo Rainforest, NIAS Press, 20124. Fischer, H.W. (1909) Katalog des ethnographischen Reichsmuseums- Die Inselnringsum Sumatra, (vol. 4, Leiden)5. Shelford, R. (1901) A provisional classification of the swords of the Sarawak tribes.Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland. Vol. 31.1Detailed condition reports are not included in this catalog. For additional information, including condition reports, please contact us at [email protected]
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