MANDAU FOR REVIEW

kai · 12th June 2016, 07:30 AM

Hello Angus,

Welcome to the forum!

The fittings appear post-WW2 to me; the braiding seems to be plastic? The quality isn't up to ol' standards, of course, but I also have seen much worse! It's possible that this is a legit modern piece used for ceremonies.

The same may hold true for the blade but I hope our specialist members will chime in with their knowledge to verify my impressions.

Note that several Dayak tribes started early on with the production of "gift swords" which were often lavishly decorated even if not up to traditional standards and generally come with subpar quality blades. These were presented to more or less important visitors/luminaries and some examples are already antique.

Regards,
Kai

12th June 2016, 07:30 AM	#4
kai Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 3,255	Hello Angus, Welcome to the forum! The fittings appear post-WW2 to me; the braiding seems to be plastic? The quality isn't up to ol' standards, of course, but I also have seen much worse! It's possible that this is a legit modern piece used for ceremonies. The same may hold true for the blade but I hope our specialist members will chime in with their knowledge to verify my impressions. Note that several Dayak tribes started early on with the production of "gift swords" which were often lavishly decorated even if not up to traditional standards and generally come with subpar quality blades. These were presented to more or less important visitors/luminaries and some examples are already antique. Regards, Kai