Aceh Shield or Nias

[RhysMichael]

This shield is on display in the Rijksmuseum with this description
During an attack by Achinese on the benteng of Lembu in 1876, a shield was taken as a trophy. The 24-year-old first lieutenant W.D.C. Regensburg was killed in the skirmish, as described on a piece of paper later attached to the shield: 'Shield of the Aceh fighter who killed first lieutenant Regensburg at benteng Lembu in December 1876. Aceh fighter also dead.'
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/RhysMicheal/Aceh/ng-nm-11552-86copy.jpg

To me though it looks like a Dange of the Nias, any thoughts on this are appreciated

[Bill M]

I think the Aceh fighter was carrying a dayak shield.

[Alam Shah]

The shield is not likely Acehese... they used buckler in their fighting styles, afaik. :)

[RhysMichael]

I think the Aceh fighter was carrying a dayak shield.

This shield is very similar to the Kliau of the Dayaks but the stylised face on it made me think Nias. And I remember reading somewhere that Warriors of the island of Nias were guards of the Sultan of Aceh. I am trying now to find where I saw that.

The shield is not likely Acehese... they used buckler in their fighting styles, afaik. :)

Thats all I had seen also was the peurise

[Alam Shah]

Perhaps a mercenary? :shrug:
Was the weapon found? From the weapon, it's possibly to distinguish further. ;)

[RhysMichael]

Perhaps a mercenary? :shrug:
Was the weapon found? From the weapon, it's possibly to distinguish further. ;)

If it was it is not listed in the online catelogue.

and I found the link that mentioned the Nias guards http://home.iae.nl/users/arcengel/NedIndie/photos.htm

[Dajak]

This is an Dajak Shield




Ben

[asomotif]

100 % Dayak, no doubts at all.

maybe a mix up by the museum ?

[Dajak]

Hi Willem yes I think so this happends a lot


Ben

[asomotif]

And somewhere there will be a nice rattan round buckler shield embossed with copper stars with a tag reading :

"Schild der dajakkers" (dayak shield)

:D :D :D

[Bill M]

100 % Dayak, no doubts at all.

maybe a mix up by the museum ?

I, too, have seen mislabeled museum pieces. But The description posted does not say it is an Aceh shield. It says 'Shield of the Aceh fighter . . . . .

Quite possibly the original quote could have been wrong about the heritage of the "Aceh fighter" or the guy could have carried a dayak shield.

I was visiting a museum with some incredible Oceanic art. PNG. With one wonderful Dayak panel. An expert on Oceanic art was describing some of the pieces. I know he was an expert because he had a little pony tail :D .

I asked him what he knew about the Dayak and he said they were one of the toughest tribes that ever lived in Sumatra.

I think that we must beware what I call the "Superman Effect." Just because a person or a museum is expert in some things, don't take everything they say about everything as being the gospel truth. They can be, and are sometimes wrong.

In one of the lesser Kurosawa movies (Don't remember which), one of the characters was using a Chinese jian. I thought it was a ken, but one of the other Japanese characters began giving him a hard time about using a Chinese sword.

He said that he liked his Chinese sword. Maybe he had killed the Chinese guy and took his sword. Maybe he traded something for it. Could have happened with the Aceh fighter and a Dayak. The shield has the bars that would indicate a battle shield so it would be appropriate for a fighter.

[RhysMichael]

So the concensus seems to be that this is a Dayak Kliau from Kalimantan or Sulawesi and not Nias Dange (shown on page 41 of Traditional Weapons of the Indonesian Archipeligo). I wish there was a picture of the back so we could see if it is indeed a wooden shield or a bark shield over a wooden frame. Thanks for the great comments and input.

Does anyone know where I might find more information on the Nias being guards for the Aceh Sultans ? I have found that the picture the link above leads to is also in other places attributed to a National Geographic photographer in the 1920's

[Bill M]

Does anyone know where I might find more information on the Nias being guards for the Aceh Sultans ? I have found that the picture the link above leads to is also in other places attributed to a National Geographic photographer in the 1920's


I have a copy of that issue in my Nias section. Let me find it and get back to you.

Suggest you email DaveS. He and Lonna have a lot of Nias knowledge.

[Dajak]

I now that the Atjeh people use Nias people as slave s



Ben