Dayak weapons identification help please

AdeNun · 28th March 2019, 03:36 PM

Hi I'm new to the forum and new to Dayak weapons. I bought a couple of blades at an antique fair recently and was told that they were bought by a man in Indonesia in the 1950s and may have been used in shamanic practice. It's sparked an interest in Dayak weapons and I've been reading and researching since and would love to know more.

I'd be really interested to know more about each of them, as buying these has sparked an interest in Dayak weapons, if anybody could help me I'd be very grateful.

The weapon in the scabbard decorated with amulets/beads/pebbles etc is heavy and has a convex/concave blade. The holes in some of the pebbles are smooth and look as though they've been worn for many years. The coin inserted is Nederlands Indie 1/2 cent from 1945.

The weapon in the teeth scabbard and has a flat blade, which is shorter and more lightweight than the other weapon. Could this be either made for tourists or ceremonial?

I'd love to know which tribe each may be from, I wondered if they were Kayan? Or could they be from different tribes? I'd love to know about the markings and what the items attached represent? Particularly the small wooden figures, the markings that look a little like fish scales (with a dot in the middle) and the stones with holes in? (one pebble, shown on a photo at the top of an amulet has had a hole in it that long that it's smooth throughout). I call them hag stones, but wondered what the Dayak people call them and what they were for/represent? Anything else that people could tell me about them would be greatly appreciated.

I look forward to hopefully hearing from you lovely knowledgeable people. If anybody requires further photos I'd be happy to upload them.

Regards

Ade

28th March 2019, 03:36 PM	#1
AdeNun Member Join Date: Mar 2019 Posts: 2	Dayak weapons identification help please Hi I'm new to the forum and new to Dayak weapons. I bought a couple of blades at an antique fair recently and was told that they were bought by a man in Indonesia in the 1950s and may have been used in shamanic practice. It's sparked an interest in Dayak weapons and I've been reading and researching since and would love to know more. I'd be really interested to know more about each of them, as buying these has sparked an interest in Dayak weapons, if anybody could help me I'd be very grateful. The weapon in the scabbard decorated with amulets/beads/pebbles etc is heavy and has a convex/concave blade. The holes in some of the pebbles are smooth and look as though they've been worn for many years. The coin inserted is Nederlands Indie 1/2 cent from 1945. The weapon in the teeth scabbard and has a flat blade, which is shorter and more lightweight than the other weapon. Could this be either made for tourists or ceremonial? I'd love to know which tribe each may be from, I wondered if they were Kayan? Or could they be from different tribes? I'd love to know about the markings and what the items attached represent? Particularly the small wooden figures, the markings that look a little like fish scales (with a dot in the middle) and the stones with holes in? (one pebble, shown on a photo at the top of an amulet has had a hole in it that long that it's smooth throughout). I call them hag stones, but wondered what the Dayak people call them and what they were for/represent? Anything else that people could tell me about them would be greatly appreciated. I look forward to hopefully hearing from you lovely knowledgeable people. If anybody requires further photos I'd be happy to upload them. Regards Ade Attached Images