Here two pages from Holstein book

Hi Marcokeris can you tel me the writer from the book and what name the book have



Ben

Hi Ben
the author is P. Holstein (a french collector)
The name of book is "Contribution a l'etude des armes orientales" edit in Paris in 1931 (french language!)
This work is divided in two big books:
the first is about description of oriental white weapons (india and indonesia),
the second is about author collection (extraordinary!) and all books are many plates
Even if it was edit in 1931 the quality of plates is really very good.
The book is rather rare (mybe is still possible to find a copy in ebay at good price).

Thanks Marcokeris for sharing these nice illustrations.
I somehow didn't see them last time I read the books.
Pierre Holstein's classical books are extremely expensive but fortunately they have them in one of the museum libraries here.
The text of the pages I read was only descriptions of the featured weapons, not cultural background etc. But the weapons in his books are all great.

I noticed that all of the illustrations on the these two pages were familiar.
It seems as if he has "ripped" most of the illustrations from Tromp and Hein's works?

Michael

Hi Ben,
sorry for the late reaction I was very busy making www.thehornbill.com
so I didn't have any time to answer.
The discussion is very interesting.
Leiden has as far as I have seen not a mandauhilt like the one you listed in the beginning of this thread.
what I think is that it is maybe an Iban imitation of a Modang hilt.
the shape is very rare and I don't think you'll find easy another like this.
on the silverwork: I know that the Maloh tribe who produced as well as the brass corsets for the Iban also most of the silverwork.they are likely originated from a mixed race of indigenes and Hindu -Javanese invaders.
This could declare the more ar less "non-Iban" style in the silverwork.
(source: metalworking in Borneo ,V.T King and J.W.Christie)

Arjan.

Tromps handles
 

Hi Michael,
Some of Tromp's handles surely has faces but indeed not on all
I have seen them in Leiden and some of them are in the typical Koetei style with face.I have the idea that the face on the grip fade away after 1900 when headhunting was'nt practised as often as before the great peacemaking.

arjan.

Hi Arjan,

Interesting idea about the faces fading away later.
Is it just an unconfirmed idea or do you have any indications of why that could be the case?
I had the idea that it was the other way around based on how rare the old non-face hilts, those combined with high class blades, are?
Why do you think Tromp shows the non-face first and then the hilts with face?

Michael

Hi Michael,

its not just an idea,during my vistit in leiden I saw many "faced" mandaugrips in the collection who where collected before 1900.
the old one seems to have bigger noses,faces with more expression.
on the late models (around 1900) the faces are smaller and less expressive.
on later models its completely gone.
also on other models from other tribes you rarely see a face an mandauhilts after 1930.
indeed shows Tromp the non-faced mandau earlier because he also writes that the faced mandau was quite common in those days and the non faced quite rare. ( we speak about pre 1900)

Arjan.

Hi Arjan,

Reading your comment I realized that maybe we have the same view?
19th C and earlier the non-face hilts were quite rare to find among Koetei/Kutei mandaus, maybe an older or more exclusive version (like the Nieuwenhuis Mandau)?
In 20th C they became more popular again.
One reason could be that headhunting stopped as you suggest.
Another reason could be that Christianity entered the scene among the Dayaks and the face handles were connected to the old beliefs?

Michael

Hi The headhunting didn t stop after 1900 in word war 2 japanese soldiers
did loose their heads in Borneo

Hi Arjan that was what I was thinking too about the Hilt that it was imitated
by the Iban because it has Iban influence also the blade
thanks for your search.

Also Thanks Michael for the Holstein stuff very nice did you notice that there is an good picture off an Bayu


Ben

Just a side note: Japanese also lost their heads among the Igorot head hunters in the Philippines in World War 2. :eek:

Hi Battara the last heads the dayaks take was in the early 21 cth
from the Madurese people 1500 I heard



Ben

Hi Arjan, Michael, Bill and not to forget the starter of this thread: Ben,

In these interesting threads I miss the presence of Ben, who is unfortunately no member anymore of the forum quite a while now allready.

I have found a mandau with a handle with similar shape as the one Ben posted in the beginning of the thread.
It took me more than a year to get it, because the former owner didn't want to let it go. But after a lot of "nagging" I was able to buy it last week.

It has no antler handle and has no silver sleeve as Ben's, but it has the shame shape. Also there is a similarity on the scabbard (the two leeches to the right are also there on mine), and another carving that is not on Ben's, but what is typically Iban.

The blade is also typicall Iban.
So I guess this makes it more likely the one Ben posted is Iban indeed!

I only post an image of the handle for now! (image is from the seller's, I will post better images also of the handle, scabbard and blade after it arrived at my home).

Maurice

Musée d'ethnographie, Genève
 

I found a similar wooden handle in the database of: Musée d'ethnographie, Genève:
A big coincidence is also that it is also a left hander, just like mine!