A mandau with brass hilt for sharing and comment

[JeffS]

Originally Posted by Sajen

Hello Jeff,

Thank you!
There is not the clear tip but some hints, also when I am not an expert by Borneo weapons I have handled some very nice and old swords and seeing a lot more online.
The scabbard in question is minimum old, see by the attached pictures the cracks in the rotan, a clear sign of good age.
By the following pictures you see first the rotan binding from the scabbard in question and next a binding by a very old scabbard. Antique bindings are very refined, compare.
Another sign is the overall patination, color and the feeling in hand.
Try to look to old collections, there you can handle the objects, visit museums, look online but don't believe all what there is told.
Look to the pages of art dealers, it's a long learning process.

Best regards,
Detlef

Very helpful, thank you. My eye is getting better, particularly with types I am more familiar with, but I have a long way to go.

[kino]

I’ve seen plenty of Mandau’s in the Forum pages and on-line but never with a brass hilt. A first look for me. Very nice, thanks for sharing.

I have seen and handled a Balato with a brass hilt, well just 1, maybe brass casted hilts is more common with Nias than Borneo.

[kai]

Hello Albert,

full-size Nias swords with brass hilts are rare; brass hilts with daggers/knives are really common though.

Both Sumatra and Borneo have their share of brass hilts, too - remember the Iban dukn I referred to. Mandau with brass hilts are certainly very rare: Note that the design and decor are not typical - I'm pretty sure it's Malay(-influenced).

Regards,
Kai

[kino]

Originally Posted by kai

Hello Albert,

full-size Nias swords with brass hilts are rare; brass hilts with daggers/knives are really common though.

Both Sumatra and Borneo have their share of brass hilts, too - remember the Iban dukn I referred to. Mandau with brass hilts are certainly very rare: Note that the design and decor are not typical - I'm pretty sure it's Malay(-influenced).

Regards,
Kai

Of course you’re correct Kai. I totally blocked the other swords coming out of Borneo with brass hilts. Funny, I even have one.

All I had in my mind at the time were Mandau’s.

[NgajuPride]

What an interesting mandau, good find Sajen. I've never seen a mandau with brass hilt before.

And i agree with Kai. This mandau seems has a lot of malay's influence. I'm pretty sure this mandau was owned by an high degree malayan coastal people as a gift or collection.

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by NgajuPride

What an interesting mandau, good find Sajen. I've never seen a mandau with brass hilt before.

And i agree with Kai. This mandau seems has a lot of malay's influence. I'm pretty sure this mandau was owned by an high degree malayan coastal people as a gift or collection.

Hello NgajuPride,

Thank you for comment! I've never seen a mandau with a brass handle either, I'd read about it but never seen one. And yes, I also suspect a strong Malay influence.

Regards,
Detlef

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by kino

I’ve seen plenty of Mandau’s in the Forum pages and on-line but never with a brass hilt. A first look for me. Very nice, thanks for sharing.

I have seen and handled a Balato with a brass hilt, well just 1, maybe brass casted hilts is more common with Nias than Borneo.

Thank you Albert! It's the same to me, it's the first mandau I've seen with brass handle. I've read about but never seen one pictured.
Like Kai wrote, there are knives and daggers with brass handles by the Nias tribes but only a few swords with them.

Regards,
Detlef