Dayak mandau

[asomotif]

Hello Collin,

That is a rather unusual mask. Not a type that I know.
Do you have a picture of the back ?

Ps. here a picture of the mandau from the bookI mentioned.

Best regards,
Willem

[Indianajones]

Hello Colin,
to my opinion your mandau is very well from the 1920's and originates from the Sarawak (;English side of Borneo) from the Iban-tribe, which I see from the so-called 'elbow-carvings' (which suppose to be leeches).
Often pieces, under which mandaus, where made and carved on order by the Chief with the special intention of giving them to special friends/important visitors. Hence the very nice details (but slightly unpractical) on the sheath and the lack of usagepatine.
Best regards,

[asomotif]

Dear Collin,

The mandau that I posted for comparisson is collected by Wolfgang Leupold in North East Borneo near the Kayan river.
The white/red/black coloured goat hair is in my opinion quite typical for the kayan and kenyah tribes.

If you check a map with various tribes from Hornbill and Dragon (B. Sellato 1992) you see that kayan and kenyah tribes are neighouring tribes of the Iban.
The leech pattern is found a lot on Kayan /Kenyah carvings but is indeed also found a lot on Iban scabbards and other tribes.

Your mandau may well have been collected in Sarawak (the english provenance being an inportant hint ) but I would not call it Iban as Wouter does.
maybe a matter of different 'mores', different opinions

All together it is a very nice example in prestine condition.

Ps. looking forward to the additional picture of the mask.

Best regards,
Willem