Parang Negara/Muslim Mandau
 

Here is a new find - a mandau of the Muslim Dayak from outside Negara/Banjarmasin aka parang Negara
Floral instead of aso-motifs and a heavy, but non-concave/convex blade with a sharp back-edge at the tip.
The scabbard is made of tigerstriped wood and the ferrule is old style brass.

I would love to see other examples from the forumites of this parang.

Michael

Hi Michael nice example never see one for sale .

Send it to my adress so I can see it in real . :D :D



Ben

Not this time. :rolleyes:

I have seen one more for sale but I missed it with 5 minutes to someone else who lived closer (in Holland).

Michael

Never seen any one quite like it. Very interesting for the subtle differences. Thanks for posting.

Thanks Charles!
I know that Arjan has one and hoped to see some more...

Ben, you have seen this blade "live". After recieveing the one at the top of the post I start to suspect that this maybe also could be a Parang Negara?
Maybe something transitional?
Or maybe I see too much in the floral motifs, the hidden figural hilt and the brass ferrule?

Michael

Hi Charles nice to see the mandau again no it is not from that region

the brass ferrule is also seen in silver and copper so not an indication .

And it is typical dayak style from Sarawak /Kalimantan .


Ben

Hi Ben,

It wasn't so much the brass ferrule, stand alone, as the combo with the (malay/muslim?) floral motif that suddenly made me think about Negara swords.
Do you mean Sarawak OR Kalimantan???

Michael

Hi Michael I mean Sarawak

And Charles was talking about the brass ferule COULD BE AN INDICATION :

the motifs on the blade are the indication that it is MUSLIM

these I think this can also find on some sumatra blade s


But you mean it could also be from muslim North borneo some off the parang sangkit has the same ferrule and the motif handle scabbard looks like the litle parang I have from North Borneo


Ben

Hi Ben,

It seems like we agree that all of the features are Muslim indicators.
Could you please show the little parang and scabbard as I don't get this part?
Do you have a scabbard, resembling mine, from North Borneo?

Michael

No not the scabbard but the handle has also floral motif and silver ferrule



Ben

I am sorry Ben but here I think you strech the floral motif a bit too far.
To me your Golok could just as well come from Sumatra (this doesn't mean that it couldn't come from Borneo but that I don't find it typical for f.i. Sarawak).

Below is an example that I traded from Charles (I haven't had time to take new pictures so I hope that Charles forgives me for using his).
This one has both the floral motif on the hilt as well as on the scabbard.
Still I think most of us would attribute this to Sumatra in style?

IMHO it's the combination with the Malay floral motifs and the f.i.Dayak mandau design that makes a weapon "Malay/Muslim Dayak".

Michael

Hi take a good look sumatra I never see with rattan bindings and look at the motif sumatra goes inside this one goes outside .

And sorry it is not silver but nickel/copper/zinc ie brass we call this berlin silver


Ben

Hi Ben,

That's a very interesting observation I haven't thought about before.
It's probably very good together with other clues, but not by itself.
Because this is also found in some parts of Sumatra.
Like f.i. the Padang highlands (see a couple of examples illustrated in the Leiden catalogue - Sumatra III; Central Sumatra by Fischer).
As well as Aceh of course (which probably isn't relevant in this case).

Also, several Borneo hilts have the floral motif going inside?
On the rattan I don't think I have seen it often on Borneo weapons?

Michael

Hi Michael you see the rattan binding on some philipine weapons like the moro keris in the north part off borneo
and some mandau s have it too .
I have an parang sankit from the Muruts with binding like an moro keris .

the Leiden museum is nice but you also see that they have Sikims that they are telling it is from Borneo .
the only Thing I use the Leiden museum for is when they bring the weapon in .


Ben

Hi Ben,

can you list pics of the blade? The handle looks indeed like banjarese style...

Arjan.

Hi Ben,

I think the few examples they have chosen to illustrate, as typical for the region, in the catalogues
are better documented than some of the few mistakes that show up in all publications.
I don't know the Sikim example but doesn't they describe where it was collected, not manufactured?
I know which parang sangkit you mean and it looks very much like a Sulu binding but it's not rattan?
Otherwise I agree on the rattan on the hilts of Moro swords.

Michael

Hi Arjan just look on the website off Stefan it is still there



Ben

Hi Michael,

There are some variations on this mandau, but mostly the hilt has that remarkable leaflike motif what mostly painted red.
Blades mostly has "bloodgrooves" but one of my "mandau's" has a normal mandaublade with inlay.
The other has an typical parang negara blade. Its seems that there was an high production of sword blades in Negara if we may believe old writers.
With quite primitive tools they talk about an industry of rifle barrels and swordblades of a few thousands each year.
Maybe they are also talking about the more common Parang Nabur in that case. What curious about these swords is that they are used by a mixed culture of Malay-Muslim-Dayak what clearly visable in the design of these swords.

Arjan.

Hi Michael,

Is that a two rings belt hang up system? like the other Banjerese swords?

Arjan.

Yes,

Congratulations on the top of your Parang Negara.
As you know that was the one that I just slightly missed for my collection.
That's the best I have seen for sale so far!

Michael

Hi Michael,

maybe but I think that the one below is a more rare type....
I have also the idea,but its only an idea that yours and the one below are older than the "classic" Parang Negara on top.

Arjan.

I agree with your conclusions.
Obviously your lower parang is a transition between a Mandau and a Parang Negara.
But I find the top one more beautiful.

Michael

Amazing Arjan :eek:

Where do you get these rare mandaus. :confused: :confused:

Hi Michael and Arjan how old you think these mandau s are ???


Ben

Hi Ben,

I think the parang negara is around 1900, the mandau types about 30 years earlier but its only a quess of course.
I must have a picture somewhere from an old book where the negara mandaus are already are pictured around 1900.
Oooh, found it! here they are from Int. Archif fur Ethnografie.band V.1892.
The one parang look like the photo you placed in this thread, Ben

Arjan.

Mandau/parang negara
 

This one just arrived into my collection.

very simple handle ( shortened) typically Negara style scabbard and a blade with inlayed stars wich is in very good state. I'm glad I found it.

Arjan.

Nice blade stars mostly indicate Headman sword .


Ben

Yep, nice one again.

The scabbard still firm with wooden pegs ?

Interesting one with both stars, congratulations, and a very nice scabbard.
Could you please post a close up of the hilt in an angle so we can see how it would originally have looked before the break?
And also one of the nice floral carving at the lower end of the scabbard and of the scabbard mouth?

Michael

Hi Michael,

Here some pics, it doesn't look like its done recently, but I think I will restore it.

Arjan.