For those of you with an interest in Taiwan Aboriginal stuff

[KuKulzA28]

Originally Posted by mandaukudi

here a very old Dayak mandau scabbard ( around 1820) It maybe a small detail but the end of the scabbard looks like the end of Paiwan swords.
I my idea its a part of the more complex boatsymbolic that is widespread among cultures of the whole archipelago.
I don't know much about Taiwan however, ( just bougth the work of Chi-lu ) more or less encouraged by this thread.

Yes it does, great observation! I like your theory. Most people don't know much about Taiwanese ethnographic weapons... many of those with a keen interest in classic Chinese weapons often overlook to the Taiwanese, Fujianese, Hakka, and Cantonese and their own martial arts and versions of Chinese weaponry. Many people don't even know Taiwan has aboriginal people who are the descendants of the earliest travelers of the Austronesian group!

From an ethnographic weapons standpoint, Taiwanese blades help provide a link in relating the different Austronesian peoples... and one may be able to find out what cultural relations are stronger between which groups, etc.