Dohong on Ebay

[Mytribalworld]

Originally Posted by Dajak

The Dohong was most likely the traditional sword/knife before the mandau.
So most Dohongs are from before 1850 and there are not many in museum collections.


First this is not proven what you put in your advertisement

It was in use with funurals never used as an weapon

IT IS AN STORY THAT IT WAS THE NATIONAL WEAPON FROM THE DAYAKS BUT NEVER BEEN PROVEN
this can be read page 379
it say s that it is not believeble that is was the national weapon look below the page 379 point 1

it also says that Sal Müller tells that the ivory handle might proof that it is from an different culture and date back to the madjapahit rules over the coast from borneo




this can be read in the catalogus van s'rijks ethnographisch museum deel 2 Borneo

Brill 1910 page 378

THE FIRST PIC IS NOT AN DOHONG BUT AN OTHER KNIFE

THE SECOND PIC IS AN DOHONG

THE 3 DRAWING IS ALSO AN DOHONG


And look dimension Handle to the blade that is what I mean

Ben

Hi Ben,

I also did my homework.
I agree with you that its not proven that the dohong was traditional used as a weapon.In those times there where no photographs made.
But we have also the work of Ave ,he stayed a long time among the Ngadjoe in south Borneo and was witness of many Tiwah's.
I think you can't just wipe away his knowlegde.
I follwed his seminar about Dayak art and culture in 1992.

I agree that in much descriptions the dohong is described as ritual dagger.
Besides that we also have a marvelous dagger in the hands of a quite warlike culture......imposible to say then that it " never" has been used as a weapon.
It comparable as beiing locked up with a beautifull naked woman for 3 days in the toilet and declared afterwards nothing has happened.....

The drawing on wich I refer is from the same series as you refer in the tread about the sadop in this forum.

The dagger in the first picture is described in the book from Volkenkunde Rotterdam and surely there the word "Duhung" in it!
However many Dohongs has more or less the same shape you can't wipe all those dagger away with a different model as " not Dohong".

To complete a few dohungs from volkenkunde Leiden.
as you see its not always that short thick hilt.