Amulets on Mandau's
 

Does anyone have amulets on their mandau's like to see pics off them


Regards,
Ben

Hello Ben,

Great topic!

Here's a one from my Mandau: 2 conch shells, a fang, and a tooth.
(Sorry, will try to post a better pic...)

Regards,
Kai

Hi Kai nice amulet are you the only one here on the forum that have an amulet on his mandau



Regards , Ben

Ben, you already know them, but for the other forum members.

some from my collection. more knots than amulets. But better than nothing.

Best regards,
Willem

Hi Willem that silver hook is very nice is that metal that carved round circle


Regards, Ben

Yes, it is a metal disc.
one side flat, the other side engraves with floral motifs.

THE 3 DISKS ON THE LAST PICTURES ARE INTERESTING ONE IS THE BIG END OF A CONE SHELL, THE OTHER APPEARS TO BE A PEARL OYSTER DISK MARKED TO RESEMBLE THE CONE SHELL DISK. THE METAL DISK IS IN THE SHAPE OF ONE OF THE DAYAK TATOOS DENOTING THE TAKEING OF A HEAD. THE SMALL WOODEN MAN WOULD BE SOME SORT OF FETISH ALSO AS THERE WERE QUITE A FEW DIFFERENT KINDS FOR DIFFERENT KINDS OF PROTECTION I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO GIVE ANY MORE INFORMATION ON IT. I DON'T HAVE MANY GOOD FETISH IN MY COLLECTION AND NO PICTURES OF THE ONES I DO HAVE. SO WILL POST A FEW PICTURES OF ONES I HAVE IN MY PHOTO ARCHIVES. ONE IS SIMULAR TO THE VERY NICE ONE WITH HORNBILL THAT STARTED THIS POST.

A FEW MORE !

THESE OFTEN SERVE THE PURPOSE OF DECORATION, CARRYING STRAP AS WELL AS HAVING TAILSMANIC PROTECTIVE POWERS AND MAY IDENTIFY THE TRIBE OR GROUP. OFTEN A SEA BEAN,SHELL DISK,HORNBILL IVORY OR PIECE OF ANTLER SERVE AS THE TOGGLE TO FASTEN THE STRAP AS WELL AS PERHAPS HAVING TAILSMANIC POWER OR BEING A SIGN OF RANK OR WEALTH.
I THINK DAYAK ART INCORPORATES TAILSMANIC POWERS, TRIBAL IDENTIFICATION ,PRIDE OF WORKMANSHIP AND DECORATION IN ALL ITS FORMS FROM BASKETS,HATS,TOOLS, FABRICS TO BLADES. ALL THE DESIGNS HAVE THEIR MEANINGS AS WELL AS BEING VERY PRETTY.

I HOPE THESE PICTURES ARE NOT FROM ANYONES PRIVATE STOCK AS I DON'T REMEMBER WHERE I GOT THE REFRENCES FROM.

Hi Vandoo that are nice ones the tassels are more used as carrying band


Ben

Another one from my collection. not a talisman but a knot that is on a pre 1900's mandau from Koetei/Kutai.
Very weird one, it is made of stone , 1 cms thick / approx 7,5 cms diameter and quite heavy.

Best regards,
Willem

Hi Willem these knots are also Talisman objects very nice one you have

Ben

new talisman/amulet
 

Keeping the thread alive !

My most recent acquired amulet / I asume a knot from a mandau carrying band.
A stylistic deer IMHO.

A INTERESTING TAILSMAN IT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN MADE FROM THE BOTTOM SECTION OF A SKULL ,TO THE BACK WHERE THE SPINAL COLUM CONNECTS. SOME OF THE SKULLS FEATURES WERE USED AS THEY ARE AND NOT MODIFIED MUCH. THE SHAPE THEY CARVED PERHAPS INDICATES ITS FROM A DEER SKULL OF COURSE PIG SKULLS WOULD ALSO BE AVAILABLE IN THE AREA. IT COULD BE A HUNTING TROPHY AS WELL AS A TAILSMAN TO BRING GOOD LUCK ON FUTURE HUNTS.

I found this picture on the web.
It is relatively recent picture of a mandau with amulets from Kalimantan Barat / west kalimantan.

Thanks for posting Willem. Looks nice and lots of balast. :-)

This is one of the beltbuckles on a mandau from South Borneo in my private collection. Simple, but very interesting.......

Hi Maurice,

Thanks for posting.
Is it bone ? or antler ?

Best regards,
Willem

Thank you for posting Maurice, it's a bone piece, very interesting indeed!

Here are two of my ones. Both are the close knobs for the carrying strip. Someone know the nut?

Regards,
Detlef

This mandau I bought last year.
It came with the somewhat unusual ropes with very small rattan baskets.

Hi Willem,

A piece of a human skull it is.

Nice find your mandau!

Kind regards,
Maurice

Hi Detlef,

Don't know which nut it is, but have seen it before used as belt buckle.

Kind regards,
Maurice

Here is a very old Mandau toggle/amulet.