MANDAU HANDLE

[Dajak]

I don't think these weapons are very well understood in the collector world and a quick look at eBay will show you that the market is currently flooded with touristy mandaus. Many of them are quite obvious. What is a bit harder to dtermine is when we see a later example that may or may not be a practical working piece as opposed to a tourist piece. It is my understanding that heads were known to be taken by the Dayak well into the second half of the 20th century

There is here in the Netherlands and grand son off an real Dajak headman IBAN who was invited back there in the 80 for an special festival no white people involved and see there people with fresh tattoo s that only where in use when heads was taking so at least in the 80 it must have been taken place. I did see some pics That I can be sure tell you all that this was for real

regards Ben