Dayak shields

[VANDOO]

A FEW MORE DAYAK SHIELDS
1. DAYAK DANCING WITH SHIELD AND SWORD
2. SHIELD WITH LIGHT CARVING AND ORANGE PIGMENT PAINT
3,4 & 5. 19TH. CENTURY SHIELD ,LIGHT CARVING, 50 X 15 INCHES
6 & 7. FRONT AND BACK OF HAIRY SHIELD
8. DEEP CARVED EXAMPLE, PAINTED
9. OLD SHIELD NO OTHER INFORMATION.
10. ANOTHER OLD SHIELD NO OTHER INFORMATION
11 & 12. FRONT AND BACK OF SHIELD EST.1920'S TO 1930'S, 62 INCHES

[Battara]

Barry some questions:


1. Are those with hair ceremonial or for warfare?

2. Do those used for warfare use painted faces for intimidation or are warfare examples plain?

3. If those with carving and paint are older, then what about those with only black and red paint, and bare wood?

[VANDOO]

GOOD QUESTIONS I AM SEVERLY LIMITED ON GOOD REFRENCES AND KNOWLEGE ON THESE BUT UNTILL THOSE WITH THE APPROPRIATE KNOWLEGE CAN COME STRAIGHTEN ME OUT I WILL GIVE IT A TRY TO ANSWER AS BEST AS I CAN.
1. THE ONES WITH HAIR WERE BOTH CEREMONIAL AND FOR WARFARE AND DENOTED THE TRIBE AND THE STATUS OF THE INDIVIDUAL IN THE TRIBE. NOT EVERYONE WOULD HAVE SUCH NICE ONES AS FAMILY, PRESTIEGE, RANK, WEALTH AND FIGHTING ABILITY WERE ALL REQUIRED TO HAVE SUCH A SHIELD.
2. THE DESIGNS AND FACES WERE FOR PROTECTION OF THE LIVING AS WELL AS ON THE SPIRITUAL PLANES. THEY NO DOUBT GATHERED THE SPIRITS OF THE ANCESTORS FOR GOOD LUCK AND PROTECTION FROM EVIL SPIRITS AND THE ENEMY IN BATTLE. THEY COULD INTIMIDATE A LESSER WARRIOR AS THEY INDICATED THE IMPORTANCE AND FIGHTING ABILITY OF THE WARRIOR AND ALSO INDICATED HE WOULD HAVE FRIENDS SO GETTING TO HIM WOULD BE MUCH MORE DANGEROUS BUT ALSO THE GLORY MUCH MORE IF SUCESSFUL.
THE PLAIN SHIELDS WERE LIKELY FOR WARRIORS WITH LOW RANK AND LITTLE WEALTH AND PERHAPS SUPPLYED BY THOSE WITH WEALTH IN THE TRIBE. IF THEY BECAME GREAT WARRIORS THE DECORATIONS AND HAIR TUFTS WOULD FOLLOW BUT I SUSPECT CERTIAN DECORATIONS WERE RESERVED FOR FAMILYS WITH LONG STANDING PRESTIEGE IN THE TRIBE CHIEFS AND SUCH.
3. THERE ARE OLD AUTHENTIC ONES AND NEW REPLICA ONES THAT ARE PLAIN AND THEY STILL MAKE THEM MOSTLY FOR LOCAL USE BUT SOMETIMES THE TOURISTS BUY ONE. MOSTLY THE TOURISTS BUY THE MORE FANCY TOURIST WALL HANGERS.
THE REALLY FANCY ONES CARVED IN DEEP RELIEF AND PAINTED ARE OFTEN USED IN SOME CELEBRATION OR EVENT AND SHOW OFF THE CARVERS SKILL AND HAVE AUTHENTIC DAYAK DESIGNS OF POWER. I HAVE SUCH A SHIELD I WILL TRY AND TAKE A PICTURE AND POST IT SOON.
THATS THE BEST I CAN DO AND IF I HAVE MADE INCORRECT STATEMENTS PLEASE CORRECT ME WHERE NEEDED. THANKS

Originally Posted by Battara

Barry some questions:


1. Are those with hair ceremonial or for warfare?

2. Do those used for warfare use painted faces for intimidation or are warfare examples plain?

3. If those with carving and paint are older, then what about those with only black and red paint, and bare wood?

[Maurice]

Originally Posted by Battara

3. If those with carving and paint are older, then what about those with only black and red paint, and bare wood?

Jose, as far as I noticed, the ones with carving are far from being older. They are mostly newer and made for tourists who love to have a nice carved shield.

Painted with designs, black and red paint or bare wood, doesn't tell us something about the age. It isn't so that this one is older as that one. They were used simultaneously next to eachother. There are very old plain ones and also very old painted ones. So this is no age indicator.

I can only say compare the old ones with provenance from old museumcollections with the ones you find mostly on ebay. Than you will see the difference.
The ones Vandoo showed us are both... Newer and recent made ones, but also old ones.
And I noticed my shield I posted in the beginning is also depicted in Vandoo's post...

Maurice

[asomotif]

Originally Posted by Battara

Barry some questions:

1. Are those with hair ceremonial or for warfare?

2. Do those used for warfare use painted faces for intimidation or are warfare examples plain?

3. If those with carving and paint are older, then what about those with only black and red paint, and bare wood?

Barry's answers are never to far off, as he seems to know something about almost everything.
Nevertheless I would like to give my short opinion on these questions.

1 + 2 : As we can see in old pictures there can be a variety of plain, decorated and hair shields (klebit bok) within one tribe. My guess is that need be, all of them will have been used for warfare.
Painted faces on the front will frighten the enemy but probably also bad spirits. As for example baby carriers are also decorated with faces to protect the child.

I have read that the faces on the front are to frighten the enemy, and the decorations on the back are to protect the warrior.

Shields without rattan enforcement would not be much use in a fight.
See also Maurice comments before.

3. : I guess here is a small misunderstanding and Maurice answered that one.

Best regards,
Willem

[VANDOO]

HERE ARE PICTURES OF MY TO GOOD EXAMPLES.
THE FIRST ONE IS FROM HEADHUNTER DAYS AND SHOWS HEAVY PATINA AND SOME WEAR IT IS A BIT FRAGILE 40.5 INCH X 11.5 INCHES. YOU CAN SEE WHAT I MEAN ABOUT THE LIGHT CARVING OF JUST THE LINES ON THE DESIGN. THIS SHIELD IS FESTOONED WITH HUMAN HAIR, THE HAIR IS NOT AS HEAVY AS SOME SHIELDS SO PERHAPS FROM A EARLIER TIME OR DIFFERENT TRIBAL GROUP .
THE SECOND ONE IS ONE OF THE ONES CARVED IN FULL RELIEF AND PAINTED WITH MODERN PAINTS NOT NATURAL PIGMENTS AS IN THE FIRST EXAMPLE. IT WAS MADE FOR SOME SPECIAL OCCASION IN KUCHING SABAH, BORNEO OVER 80 YEARS AGO. IT IS 60 X 15 INCHES. I BOUGHT IT IN KUCHING AROUND 12 YEARS AGO.

[VANDOO]

THIS IS THE LAST OF MY PICTURES OF OLDER WELL DONE SHIELDS. THE FIRST PICTURE IS A CLOSEUP OF THE DETAIL ON THE LAST SHIELD IN THE PREVIOUS POST WITH LOTS OF PICTURES. TWO PICTURES OF ANOTHER SHIELD.

[asomotif]

My latest acquisition.

Collected pre WW2 by a dutch Sergeant.

[Battara]

I thank you folks for indulging my ignorance.

I have seen examples with multicolored modern paints. Easy to see these modern works of art (though some are not so much art ).

Patina of course will often tell of some age. This we all understand. However, some older examples are in such great condition that there is not much patina on them.

Your knowledge has helped me much.

[Maurice]

Originally Posted by asomotif

My latest acquisition.

Collected pre WW2 by a dutch Sergeant.

Great to have the provenance with it Willem.
I specially like the two ridges on both sides all over the length in the line of the handle....

[Sentrad]

Here is one of my Borneo shields: Max. length 131,7 cm; length of side edges 102,2 cm / 103,2 cm; length of handle 31,7 cm; max. width 31,7 cm.
Provenance: French Collection.
Udo

[Sentrad]

Max. length 106,2 cm; length of side edges 69,1 cm / 86,4 cm; length of handle 31,7 cm; max. width 29,7 cm.

This shield looks nice, but there are l a lot of shields in this fantastic thread, which are much more spectacular. However, its provenience is interesting, it belonged to the daughter of the Dutch Ethnologist H. F. Tillema, who travelled and filmed in the Apo Kajan region. A few copies of his films still exist. He wrote a book on his travelling:
Tillema, H. F.
A Journey Among the Peoples of Central Borneo in Word and Picture
Singapore 1989, Oxford University Press (Original titel ‘Apo-Kajan. Een Filmreis naar en door Centraal-Borneo’, Amsterdam 1938, van Munsters Uitgevers).

Udo

[Dajak]

Old shield.

[Albert]

I am working on a book (text in Dutch): "Traditionele wapens van Borneo. De uitrusting van de koppensnellers" ("Traditional weapons of Borneo. The equipment of the headhunters").

Part I: "Schilden en krijgskleding" ("Shields and war clothing") is forthcoming in 2015. Approximately 110 pages on shields (with 130 photos / illustrations).

I will let you know what the publication date will be.