Old kind of Mandau scabbard from Kutei
 

Here is a mandau I found last month.
It has a very old scabbard version from Kutei that I don't think has been published on this forum before.
The hilt is the old face version and the blade is undecorated which is also characteristic of this kind of mandau.

Michael

Nice piece Michael,also here is good visable that the carved triangle on the scabbard once served as a kind of clip but in the later versions of mandaus more and more became one piece with the scabbard and lost its function.

Arjan.

I see that this one also lost the "plug" at the end of the handle. What were they made of? How resilient they were? Is the absence of it a conceivable sign of the age?

Hello Michael,

Not published before on this webiste ?
Check again ;)

Arjan made a thread recently including one Kutei mandau from my collection.

Best regards,
Willem

There it is :
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=3967

Ps. very nice find Michael,

The knot (shell/mother of pearl) on the loop has 2 holes.
it looks like this is also something that you only find on the older mandaus.

So sorry Willem,

I only remembered that thread as discussing the hilts.

Ariel, the plug is made of resin (damar). Some have it and some don't.
I don't think it's an age indicator. Maybe an indicator of condition?

Michael

Hi All there missing the damar on the end off the handle mostly did get lost and not replaced
There are some very old ones that has not been decorated
I personally think that the early one s had not much decoration
and that they started later with decoration

Michael,

When would you say a mandau is from koetei ?
The rattanstrip on the scabbard. or the style of the handle or the combination ?

I have 4 scabbards with rattan strips now.

Willem opschepper LOL



Ben

Hi Ben !
English please ?! ;)

Some more pictures of my very special, very rare, perfect condition, guaranteed pre 1900's, koetei mandau :D :D :D

Ps. Ben, how is the spear collection ?

Best regards,
Willem

Hi Willem congratulations with your birthday

The spear collection is nice I have an rare murut spear and a few nice philipinne spears addit to my collection

you have an nice collection off koetei mandau s

That last one is one off the best

Ben

Nice scabbards Willem!

On your question the hilt is of course a good tell.
The rattan stick along the scabbard is according to my experience more of an age indicator.

Michael

The Rattan stick is used as protection for the sharp blade and not only from the koetei area.


Ben

Hello Ben,

Yes, also very common for old-style scabbards from Negara.

Any other examples of such scabbards from other regions/tribes?

Regards,
Kai

The old style scabbards from Negara often had a carved "look-a-like" stick like the ones from Kutai, not a real one.

Best,
Maurice

So the rattan stick is designed to keep the blade from cutting through the woven rattan bands???...if so it was a good idea that should not have been given up considering how many swords we have seen cut through their rattan bound scabbards at the edges.

It is more work to make it like this, and as we know the fine art work also disappear by time.....

I have an mandau late 1700 that do have the rattan strip and an handle that has 2 different sides....

And is not from koetei.


Ben

Is this blade profile and hilt as old as the scabbard?

I have two in my collection with strip at the scabbard.
Both from East Borneo, Kutai.

This one is definately the best from both and one of my favorites in my collection...

Wow, my avatar almost turned green with envy ;-)

And this one is my other one.

Both are very nice Maurice! :) Thank's for sharing.

Regards,
Detlef

Hmm... you could qualify them as "best" and "more best" ;)

I like beads and blades with inlay, but the stag hilt is also very very nice.

Best regards,
Willem