MANDAU HANDLE

Dajak · 26th March 2007, 07:54 PM

The size don t have anything to do with it is tourist or not.

David the one you have is is nice carved can you show also the blade and scabbard the type off handle don t look that old to me that it is before ww2 but I could be wrong .

Ben

David · 26th March 2007, 09:12 PM

Ben, you may well be right about the age. I don't know very much about these blade so dating them isn't easy for me. There is wear and patina to the handle and the blade's edge shows some use with nicks here and there. I know some folks put a good deal of importance on whether or not these swords have taken heads, but for me that is of little importance. I am mostly interested in them because of the extraordinary style of dayak art, which to my eyes seems very advanced. I posted this once before when i was still posting as Nechesh, but didn't get much feedback:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ghlight=Mandau
Any information you might have would be helpful.

Dajak · 26th March 2007, 10:19 PM

An good book is from A.R. Hein Malerei un technische künste bei den Dayaks.

or Indonesische schwertgriffe . also from Hein

Ben

David · 27th March 2007, 02:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dajak

An good book is from A.R. Hein Malerei un technische künste bei den Dayaks.
or Indonesische schwertgriffe . also from Hein
Ben

Any you would recommend in English?

Dajak · 27th March 2007, 04:08 AM

The pagan tribes off Borneo Hose and mcdougall

The natives of Sarawak and british north Borneo henry ling Roth

Ben

David · 27th March 2007, 04:09 AM

Thanks Ben.

asomotif · 27th March 2007, 12:37 PM

For the sake of conversation enclosed pictures of a very large hilt

Old or New ? Tourist or not tourist ?

David · 27th March 2007, 02:18 PM

Well i couldn't tell you the age of this hilt, though it does appear that the point on the antler has been intentionally darkened. For me whether it is old or new is not nearly as important as whether it is authenic and beautiful and it does appear (to my novice eyes) to be a true and well executed expression of a Dayak artform and well worth collecting. Still, it is important for us as collectors to understand exactly what we are collecting. If it is new and presented for sale as an old piece that is a problem. I am sure there are many collectors who are quite willing to add newly crafted pieces to their collections, especially if it means keeping what would otherwise be a dying artform alive. We deal with the same issues in the keris world, perhaps on an even larger scale. There are absolutely exquisite modern works of the keris artform being produced today, though many dealers seem to feel that they must present them as old pieces in order to sell them (or get more money for them). But there is a market for well made new keris and some collectors make it their specialty.

Maurice · 27th March 2007, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

Still, it is important for us as collectors to understand exactly what we are collecting. If it is new and presented for sale as an old piece that is a problem. I am sure there are many collectors who are quite willing to add newly crafted pieces to their collections, especially if it means keeping what would otherwise be a dying artform alive. .

I do agree with this. There are people who like it for the age and authentic items.
There are also people who like the "style" weather it is old or new.
For me I wood say (although I have newly made indonesian weapons in my collection in generally) I like the old mandaus.
This because they were made by the dayaks while they had very little of no influences of outside (modern) society.

Dajak · 27th March 2007, 03:25 PM

Hi Willem this is nice carving but not the old style

Ben

paolo · 30th March 2007, 01:49 PM

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

ariel · 30th March 2007, 09:53 PM

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

27th March 2007, 12:37 PM	#7
asomotif Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 2,235	For the sake of conversation enclosed pictures of a very large hilt Old or New ? Tourist or not tourist ? Attached Images

26th March 2007, 07:54 PM	#1
Dajak Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 951	The size don t have anything to do with it is tourist or not. David the one you have is is nice carved can you show also the blade and scabbard the type off handle don t look that old to me that it is before ww2 but I could be wrong . Ben

26th March 2007, 09:12 PM	#2
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,220	Ben, you may well be right about the age. I don't know very much about these blade so dating them isn't easy for me. There is wear and patina to the handle and the blade's edge shows some use with nicks here and there. I know some folks put a good deal of importance on whether or not these swords have taken heads, but for me that is of little importance. I am mostly interested in them because of the extraordinary style of dayak art, which to my eyes seems very advanced. I posted this once before when i was still posting as Nechesh, but didn't get much feedback: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ghlight=Mandau Any information you might have would be helpful.

26th March 2007, 10:19 PM	#3
Dajak Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 951	An good book is from A.R. Hein Malerei un technische künste bei den Dayaks. or Indonesische schwertgriffe . also from Hein Ben

27th March 2007, 04:08 AM	#5
Dajak Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 951	The pagan tribes off Borneo Hose and mcdougall The natives of Sarawak and british north Borneo henry ling Roth Ben

27th March 2007, 04:09 AM	#6
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,220	Thanks Ben.

27th March 2007, 02:18 PM	#8
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,220	Well i couldn't tell you the age of this hilt, though it does appear that the point on the antler has been intentionally darkened. For me whether it is old or new is not nearly as important as whether it is authenic and beautiful and it does appear (to my novice eyes) to be a true and well executed expression of a Dayak artform and well worth collecting. Still, it is important for us as collectors to understand exactly what we are collecting. If it is new and presented for sale as an old piece that is a problem. I am sure there are many collectors who are quite willing to add newly crafted pieces to their collections, especially if it means keeping what would otherwise be a dying artform alive. We deal with the same issues in the keris world, perhaps on an even larger scale. There are absolutely exquisite modern works of the keris artform being produced today, though many dealers seem to feel that they must present them as old pieces in order to sell them (or get more money for them). But there is a market for well made new keris and some collectors make it their specialty.

27th March 2007, 03:25 PM	#10
Dajak Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 951	Hi Willem this is nice carving but not the old style Ben

30th March 2007, 01:49 PM	#11
paolo Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 173	I'm proud of my mandau !!! http://www.oriental-arms.com/photos.php?id=361 Paolo

30th March 2007, 09:53 PM	#12
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	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