Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

VANDOO · 2nd December 2006, 07:01 PM

THE SWORDS YOU PICTURE ARE NOT OLD ENOUGH TO BE FROM THE HEADHUNTING DAYS BUT WERE MADE IN BORNEO. FROM WHAT I COULD GATHER WHILE I WAS VISITING BORNEO VARIOUS TRIBES OR AREAS STILL MAKE THE MANDAUS FOR THEIR USE AS WELL AS SOME TO SELL OR TRADE. THESE ARE PICKED UP BY TRADERS EVERY SO OFTEN AND BROUGHT DOWN RIVER TO THE MAIN CITYS WHERE THEY ARE PLACED IN SHOPS TO SELL TO TOURISTS. THE SHOPS OFTEN HAVE EXAMPLES OF THIS TYPE OF WORK RANGEING FROM SOME THEY JUST RECEIVED TO SOME THAT HAVE BEEN IN THE SHOPS FOR SALE FOR 50 YEARS OR MORE. THE QUALITY AND WORKMANSHIP VARIES FROM VILLAGE TO VILLAGE AS WELL AS WITH AGE AND AREAS WHERE THEY ARE PRODUCED. THE BLADE TELLS THE TALE AS TO WEATHER IT WAS MADE FOR USE OR JUST FOR TOURISTS. IF IT IS SUITABLY HEAVY AND SHARP TO CHOP AND PERFORM WORK THEN IT COULD BE USED IF THE BLADE IS THIN DULL AND FLIMSY IT COULD BE USED FOR CEREMONY BUT IS PROBABLY MADE FOR THE TOURIST MARKET.

UNLESS YOU ARE LOADED WITH CASH YOU WILL PROBABLY NOT BE ABLE TO BUY A GOOD OLD MANDAU ON EBAY THESE DAYS AS THE BIG TIME ETHINOGRAPHIC DEALERS AND COLLECTORS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD WILL BE BIDDING AGAINST YOU. I USED TO BE ABLE TO GET THE OCCASIONAL OLD MANDAU THAT WAS MISSING THE SCABBARD AS THE DEALERS AND COLLECTORS DIDN'T WANT THEM BUT THEY NOW BUY THEM ALSO SO MY DAYS OF COLLECTING SWORDS FROM BORNEO ARE OVER.

THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH BUYING A RECENT( 1 TO 50 YEARS )EXAMPLE OF ETHINOGRAPHIC ART IF THE WORKMANSHIP IS GOOD, THE PRICE RIGHT AND YOU LIKE IT. SO DON'T FEEL TOO BAD AS I HAVE SOME EXAMPLES IN MY COLLECTION THAT ARE WORSE THAN THE ONES YOU JUST BOUGHT WHICH I DON'T FEEL TOO BAD ABOUT AS I GOT THEM CHEAP. IT IS EDUCATIONAL TO COMPARE THESE RECENT ITEMS WITH GOOD OLD EXAMPLES TO SEE THE SIMULARITIES AND DIFFERENCES IN WORKMANSHIP AND MATERIALS OVER TIME. YOU CAN ALWAYS TRY FOR THE GOOD ITEMS ON EBAY AND OCCASIONALY YOU MAY GET LUCKY AS THE BIG BOYS CAN'T SEE EVERYTHING "I HOPE"

BUT KNOWLEGE AND TIME WILL EVENTUALLY MOVE YOU OUT OF THE NEWBIE STAGE BUT EVEN THE OLD TIMERS MAKE MISTAKES ESPECIALLY ON EBAY WHERE ALL YOU HAVE IS A POOR PICTURE AND DESCRIPTION TO GO ON. THESE MORE RECENTLY MADE MANDAU ARE OFTEN ARTIFICAILLY AGED BY SMOKING,RUBBING WITH GRIME AND STAINS AND RUSTING THE BLADES OR PITTING THEM WITH ACID. ONE YOU PICTURE HAS A NEWLY MADE SCABBARD THAT HAS NOT BEEN AGED BUT THAT IS NOT A BAD THING IF THE SWORD IS AN OLD ONE THAT HAS BEEN USED AND NOW HAS A NEW SCABBARD ITS BETTER THAN NO SCABBARD AT ALL. GOOD LUCK

2nd December 2006, 07:01 PM	#8
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	THE SWORDS YOU PICTURE ARE NOT OLD ENOUGH TO BE FROM THE HEADHUNTING DAYS BUT WERE MADE IN BORNEO. FROM WHAT I COULD GATHER WHILE I WAS VISITING BORNEO VARIOUS TRIBES OR AREAS STILL MAKE THE MANDAUS FOR THEIR USE AS WELL AS SOME TO SELL OR TRADE. THESE ARE PICKED UP BY TRADERS EVERY SO OFTEN AND BROUGHT DOWN RIVER TO THE MAIN CITYS WHERE THEY ARE PLACED IN SHOPS TO SELL TO TOURISTS. THE SHOPS OFTEN HAVE EXAMPLES OF THIS TYPE OF WORK RANGEING FROM SOME THEY JUST RECEIVED TO SOME THAT HAVE BEEN IN THE SHOPS FOR SALE FOR 50 YEARS OR MORE. THE QUALITY AND WORKMANSHIP VARIES FROM VILLAGE TO VILLAGE AS WELL AS WITH AGE AND AREAS WHERE THEY ARE PRODUCED. THE BLADE TELLS THE TALE AS TO WEATHER IT WAS MADE FOR USE OR JUST FOR TOURISTS. IF IT IS SUITABLY HEAVY AND SHARP TO CHOP AND PERFORM WORK THEN IT COULD BE USED IF THE BLADE IS THIN DULL AND FLIMSY IT COULD BE USED FOR CEREMONY BUT IS PROBABLY MADE FOR THE TOURIST MARKET. UNLESS YOU ARE LOADED WITH CASH YOU WILL PROBABLY NOT BE ABLE TO BUY A GOOD OLD MANDAU ON EBAY THESE DAYS AS THE BIG TIME ETHINOGRAPHIC DEALERS AND COLLECTORS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD WILL BE BIDDING AGAINST YOU. I USED TO BE ABLE TO GET THE OCCASIONAL OLD MANDAU THAT WAS MISSING THE SCABBARD AS THE DEALERS AND COLLECTORS DIDN'T WANT THEM BUT THEY NOW BUY THEM ALSO SO MY DAYS OF COLLECTING SWORDS FROM BORNEO ARE OVER. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH BUYING A RECENT( 1 TO 50 YEARS )EXAMPLE OF ETHINOGRAPHIC ART IF THE WORKMANSHIP IS GOOD, THE PRICE RIGHT AND YOU LIKE IT. SO DON'T FEEL TOO BAD AS I HAVE SOME EXAMPLES IN MY COLLECTION THAT ARE WORSE THAN THE ONES YOU JUST BOUGHT WHICH I DON'T FEEL TOO BAD ABOUT AS I GOT THEM CHEAP. IT IS EDUCATIONAL TO COMPARE THESE RECENT ITEMS WITH GOOD OLD EXAMPLES TO SEE THE SIMULARITIES AND DIFFERENCES IN WORKMANSHIP AND MATERIALS OVER TIME. YOU CAN ALWAYS TRY FOR THE GOOD ITEMS ON EBAY AND OCCASIONALY YOU MAY GET LUCKY AS THE BIG BOYS CAN'T SEE EVERYTHING "I HOPE" BUT KNOWLEGE AND TIME WILL EVENTUALLY MOVE YOU OUT OF THE NEWBIE STAGE BUT EVEN THE OLD TIMERS MAKE MISTAKES ESPECIALLY ON EBAY WHERE ALL YOU HAVE IS A POOR PICTURE AND DESCRIPTION TO GO ON. THESE MORE RECENTLY MADE MANDAU ARE OFTEN ARTIFICAILLY AGED BY SMOKING,RUBBING WITH GRIME AND STAINS AND RUSTING THE BLADES OR PITTING THEM WITH ACID. ONE YOU PICTURE HAS A NEWLY MADE SCABBARD THAT HAS NOT BEEN AGED BUT THAT IS NOT A BAD THING IF THE SWORD IS AN OLD ONE THAT HAS BEEN USED AND NOW HAS A NEW SCABBARD ITS BETTER THAN NO SCABBARD AT ALL. GOOD LUCK Last edited by VANDOO; 2nd December 2006 at 07:12 PM.