Tanimbar cuirass

LJ · 20th April 2014, 06:02 PM

Similar examples to this hard leather cuirass are known from Tanimbar, in the South-East part of Indonesia. You can find a few by looking for "krijger Tanimbar" in Google. This example has one leather loop at the back to hold a sword (which was held horizontally, with the hilt projecting), but some of the other loops are missing.

Tanimbar cuirasses do seem to be rare: there's one in a museum in Leiden and one in the Smithsonian. But are there many others, in Indonesia perhaps?

Also:- was Tanimbar the ONLY place where this design of cuirass was made? I can imagine them being more widespread in Indonesia. Did the various islands of Indonesia have their own distinctive designs of cuirass?

colin henshaw · 22nd April 2014, 06:34 PM

Interesting. There is/was a cuirass of a similar form used in New Guinea, but made out of basketry.

Regret I don't have an image of one right now.

Regards.

LJ · 22nd April 2014, 08:09 PM

And of course some of the more complete sets of Kiribati coconut-fibre armour have a high, square, projection to protect the back of the head. I thought Edge-Partington might have illustrated the New Guinea rattan examples in his 'Album', but he didn't: I can't recall seeing any illustration of them.

Other places I looked at before 'landing' on Tanimbar were West Africa (there are two fairly well known cuirasses, one from Musgum and an iron one from northern Nigeria) and Nagaland. Both areas provide examples with raised neck-protectors. As a feature it must have been developed independently
several times.

Isn't it is a big question as to why there are so MANY examples of ethnographic arms and so FEW examples of ethnographic armour ?

Incidentally, the Pitt-Rivers Museum have a Tanimbar cuirass, which they bought in 1906 from Stevens auction house.

20th April 2014, 06:02 PM	#1
LJ Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Posts: 93	Tanimbar cuirass Similar examples to this hard leather cuirass are known from Tanimbar, in the South-East part of Indonesia. You can find a few by looking for "krijger Tanimbar" in Google. This example has one leather loop at the back to hold a sword (which was held horizontally, with the hilt projecting), but some of the other loops are missing. Tanimbar cuirasses do seem to be rare: there's one in a museum in Leiden and one in the Smithsonian. But are there many others, in Indonesia perhaps? Also:- was Tanimbar the ONLY place where this design of cuirass was made? I can imagine them being more widespread in Indonesia. Did the various islands of Indonesia have their own distinctive designs of cuirass? Attached Images

22nd April 2014, 06:34 PM	#2
colin henshaw Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 1,430	Interesting. There is/was a cuirass of a similar form used in New Guinea, but made out of basketry. Regret I don't have an image of one right now. Regards.

22nd April 2014, 08:09 PM	#3
LJ Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Posts: 93	And of course some of the more complete sets of Kiribati coconut-fibre armour have a high, square, projection to protect the back of the head. I thought Edge-Partington might have illustrated the New Guinea rattan examples in his 'Album', but he didn't: I can't recall seeing any illustration of them. Other places I looked at before 'landing' on Tanimbar were West Africa (there are two fairly well known cuirasses, one from Musgum and an iron one from northern Nigeria) and Nagaland. Both areas provide examples with raised neck-protectors. As a feature it must have been developed independently several times. Isn't it is a big question as to why there are so MANY examples of ethnographic arms and so FEW examples of ethnographic armour ? Incidentally, the Pitt-Rivers Museum have a Tanimbar cuirass, which they bought in 1906 from Stevens auction house.