Kayan mandau

[Mytribalworld]

Originally Posted by asomotif

You can call me 'Willem'. That's what most people do



The similarity between celtic design and borneo design is something that started my interest in this culture.
In my twenties I was interested in our celtic past (I am dutch) and read some books about it. I also was interested in tattoo designs and celtic styles withing tattoo designs.
Also Borneo came in perspective due to their tattoo history.
Than in 1997 my sister planned a holiday to Sarawak and I went along.
Those 4 weeks really got me interested.
Old men adorned with various tattoo's. The old habit of headhunting and trophees. The similarity with what I knew from Celtic times where striking.

But of course designs made by humans have 1 factor in common. the're made by humans.

rattan weavings from Indonesia can be very similar to those from the Amazon.

scroll motifs, spirals are found almost everywhere.

But back to the amulet.
I find it difficult to judge an amulet when you are not sure of the age and origin of the mandau. This mandau is clearly old. But there is no way for me to guess when and where the amulet was attached to it.
This specific amulet also reminds me of jewellry from India.
Timor as Ron mentioned could be possible.

Hard to be exact on the amulet, but surely a very nice traditional mandau.

Hi,

I found this pic in Hornbill and Dragon a 300 years old coffin from the Kinabatangan area. look at the scroll motifs.....

On the Celtic influence... I was also interested in the similar connection of Celtic patterns ito Dayak and southeast asian art.
The Scyths had most likely an important role into the exchange of motifs.
They where widespread active from Europe to the borders of China.
A good example is the "twisted back style" where the back of the animal is turned 180 degrees.A art style that's also quite often used on the Aso motifs.

[VVV]

The double spiral is a universal bronze age, f.i. Dong-Son, motif.
In this case my guesses are either Timor/Moluccan (if originally matched in Borneo), or maybe Batak (maybe added later in Holland)?
It's quite common to add foreign artefacts for protection as imported "magic" seems quite often to be considered stronger than domestic.
Mjolnir and Viking motifs seems a bit far-fetched to me...

Michael

[Maurice]

According to Ben it was used as a buckle to close the belt.
It seemed like I used the wrong word (Amulet).

Maurice

[David]

Originally Posted by Maurice

According to Ben it was used as a buckle to close the belt.
It seemed like I used the wrong word (Amulet).

Maurice

Well, just because it served a practical purpose does not necessarily mean that there was not magickal attribution applied. I might still be considered an amulet.

[ronpakis]

not quit the type of buckle you would expect?? How does it work than?

greetings ron

[Maurice]

Originally Posted by ronpakis

not quit the type of buckle you would expect?? How does it work than?

greetings ron

Hi Ron,

I have seen buckles in different forms. Crocodile teeth, wooden peg, shell knot, bone. But I haven,t seen a buckle like this either myself.
But as mentioned it could be hanged on it later. But dajaks also use stuff from trade.

How it works:
There is a ratan belt which is going around the waste. And it has a loop were the buckle is stuck through..
I have some better pics were you can see the whole ratan belt and some old pics of dajaks with mandaus on their waste attached, to give you a better imagination how it is fastened.

Groeten,
Maurice

[Maurice]

It took some time, but I found a likewise "amulet", now on a Bornean dart quiver!!! (by the way this one isn't mine).