Dear David,

Fully agree that these terms need some deifinition.
Although Ben had no problem interpeting these terms ;)
He has even his own terms : new style / old style.

In Dajak art I think that 'old style' is a style where the motifs are strongly anthropomorphic. like leeches and elbows and arm sticking out of the design.

The big hilt I posted has very clear figures, the hornbills are clearly hornbills, and the dragons are clearly dragons. No mistake about that.
That is also what I feel should be considere 'new style'

Anyway , the last hilt I posted is a bit of a mystery to me.
It does not seem very old, but take a look at the blade...

Hi Willem the blade is an old one it is always difficult from a pic to see the patina but dont forget handle can be broken and replaced but the style is also
new style for me is that after 1940 1950 so yours handle could be 50 60 years old but the blade is older .

scabbard also newer than the blade it looks like north borneo style

Regards Ben

horn mandau handle
 

Hi I just got this mandauhandle.
It is made of some kind of horn.
It was a gift and just handed over to me.
I had never seen them made of horn.
Maybe also a good topic in this thread.

PS. the pictures are not all fully sharp.

FROM WHAT I COULD LEARN FROM DEALERS ON MY TRIP TO BORNEO THEY SOMETIMES MAKE TRIPS UP THE RIVERS TO THE DAYAK COMUNITYS AND TRADE OR BUY ARTEFACTS DIRECTLY FROM THE LOCALS. THEY ALSO BUY FROM TRADERS WHO REGULARLY MAKE TRIPS THRU MALYSIAN AND INDONESIAN BORNEO. I AM SURE THERE ARE SOME LOCALLY MADE BY ARTISTS IN THE CITYS AND THERE MAY BE SOME ITEMS IMPORTED FROM OTHER AREAS OF MALAYSIA AND INDONESIA. THERE WERE LOTS OF SHOPS IN KUCHING AND QUITE A VARIETY AND RANGE OF SWORDS, MASKS, SHIELDS AND SPEARS.

FROM WHAT I SAW IN THE SHOPS THERE ARE SEVERAL CLASSIFICATIONS OF SWORDS.
1. THE GOOD OLD ONES OVER 100 YEARS OLD WHICH ARE OFTEN IN THE SHOP OWNERS PRIVATE COLLECTIONS, NOT MANY FOR SALE.
2. THOSE WHICH ARE 100 YEARS OR LESS OLD THAT ARE MADE IN A TRADITIONAL MANNER AND ARE GOOD ENOUGH TO ACTUALLY USE AS INTENDED . (TO CHOP BRUSH AND AS A TOOL THESE DAYS)
3. THOSE 100 YEARS OR LESS THAT HAVE TRADITIONAL DESIGNS BUT BLADES TOO POOR TO BE VERY GOOD JUNGLE KNIVES. (SOME OF THESE ARE FOR CEREMONYS OR PRESENTATION ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS OR TO PEOPLE WHO PREFORM A GOOD SERVICE TO THE TRIBE OR INDIVIDUAL.)
4. THOSE 50 YEARS OR LESS THAT HAVE NON TRADITIONAL DESIGNS SOME WITH FUNCTIONAL BLADES AND SOME DECORATIVE ONLY. ( SOME NON TRADITIONAL DESIGNS I HAVE SEEN ARE MERMAIDS OR CHINESE DRAGONS)
5. THOSE MADE WITH VERY POOR BLADES, POOR CARVINGS PAINTED AND HUNG WITH BEADS,HAIR, SHELLS, BONES AND TEETH I THINK THEY MAY COME FROM KALIMANTAN. I HAVE ALSO SEEN SMALL SHIELDS, KERIS AND SPEARS WITH PARMOR BLADES WITH THIS SAME TYPE OF DESIGN. THESE ARE VERY BARBARIC LOOKING BUT I DON'T THINK THEY WERE EVER THE TRADITIONAL STYLE OF ANY DAYAK GROUP, BUT I COULD BE WRONG :confused:
6. WITHIN THESE GROUPS THERE ARE THOSE THAT HAVE SEEN USE AND HAVE BEEN PERSONALIZED BY THE OWNER. SOME OF THESE ARE FANCY AND SOME QUITE PLAIN. SOME HAVE BEEN PAINTED WITH MODERN PAINTS SOME WITH NATURAL DYES OR MORE PRIMATIVE NATURAL PAINTS. SOME HAVE HAD HUNTING TROPHYS ATTACHED OR TAILSMEN ATTACHED.
7. THOSE WITH A OLDER BLADE , NEWER HANDLE AND SCABBARD THOSE WITH NEWER BLADES AND OLDER HANDLES ATTACHED TAILSMEN ECT. DONE AT A SHOP RATHER THAN BY AN INDIVIDUAL.
8 THOSE THAT WERE NOT MADE IN AND HAVE NEVER BEEN TO BORNEO. ( OF THIS I HAVE NO PROOF BUT CONSIDERING TODAYS PRICES AND THE ARTISTIC ABILITY AND BUSINESS SENSE OF SEVERAL OTHER AREAS I CONSIDER IT LIKELY.)

KUCHING (SARAWAK) HAD THE MOST OF THESE TYPES OF ARTEFACTS FOR SALE, THERE WERE SOME SHOPS IN SABAH BUT NOT AS MANY AS IN KUCHING. I DID NOT GET TO KALIMANTAN BUT AM SURE THERE IS PROBABLY A CITY THERE LIKE KUCHING WHICH HAS LOTS OF SHOPS AND ITEMS ALSO.

I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH BUYING A MORE RECENT ITEM IF IT IS SOLD AS RECENT, THE WORKMANSHIP IS GOOD, TRADITIONAL DESIGNS AND MATERIALS ARE USED AND IT IS MADE BY THE PROPER SOCIETY. FOR INSTANCE I WOULD PREFER TO BUY A CHEYENNE WAR CLUB MADE BY A CHEYENNE NOT BY AN IRISHMAN BECAUSE NO MATTER HOW MUCH IT LOOKED LIKE A CHEYENNE CLUB I WOULD KNOW THE ONE MADE BY THE IRISHMAN HAD TO BE A SHILLELAGH :D

What about this one? My only Mandau...

Hello Ariel,

Very nice old mandau. Lovely handle with lots of patina.
Would like to bump into that quality mandaus any day.

I do agree with you completely Willem.

I'm proud of my mandau !!!
http://www.oriental-arms.com/photos.php?id=361
Paolo

Hey, guys, if you like my mandau so much, you know who to contact if you have an unwanted Caucasian, Turkish, Arabian or Central Asian sword :D :D