Mandaya Spearheads

Battara · 10th January 2011, 05:44 AM

Greetings. Just got these Mandaya spearheads from Oriental-Arms. These are two slightly different pieces. One has a trapazoidal tip and bottom and 15.5 inches. The other is 14.5 inches and tapers to the tip and is rounded on the bottom. Both do not have any laminations, but they do have central sections that have "X"s in the middle.

Here are the pictures with one color painted picture of a Mandaya with a similar spear in hand.

Enjoy!

tom hyle · 10th January 2011, 01:35 PM

Very nice & interesting. Can anyone elucidate the difference between Moro, Lumad, and Visayan spear blades? The more rounded of these two particularly resembles Moro blades? Are the unpanelled ones with rhomboid bolsters Visayan?

Sajen · 11th January 2011, 11:08 PM

Very nice spearheads.

Every time when I see these spearheads as well Moro spearheads I wonder how it's possible to fix them secure with it's short tang to this long shafts.

Regards,

Detlef

Maurice · 11th January 2011, 11:49 PM

I was watching those too.
Thank you for posting it with the image of the mandaya warrior.

I had seen the spearheads and also I have the image of the warrior on my computer. But I didn't connected them together so didn't notice those were the same spearheads as on the image.
Great to have a reference...

Maurice

David · 11th January 2011, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sajen

Every time when I see these spearheads as well Moro spearheads I wonder how it's possible to fix them secure with it's short tang to this long shafts.

Detlef, perhaps this thread will give you some ideas....
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ght=moro+spear

Sajen · 12th January 2011, 12:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

Detlef, perhaps this thread will give you some ideas....
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ght=moro+spear

Thank you, seems I have missed this thread!

Rick · 12th January 2011, 02:02 AM

Then we have the socketed variety of Mandaya spear head ....

These two have innumerable forged layers .

Battara · 12th January 2011, 02:49 AM

Thank you folks - truly rare finds indeed! (I thought of you Rick and your 2 pieces).

Well the Mandaya is one of the lumad tribes, with some others being like the Bagobo, T'boli, Manobo, etc.

One thing to notice is that most Mandaya spearheads have that trapazoidal tip and bottom with the "X"s in the middle. Moro spearheads (except the wavy ones) seem to taper with rounded bottoms and do not have "engraved" middle sections.

I only wish that they had the sockets like Rick's (or were on shafts). STill happy with these, however.

Rick · 12th January 2011, 03:16 PM

Yours are the only other ones i've seen with the 'flower' pattern in the panel, Jose .

You really don't see these very often; in 15 years I've only seen yours and Bill's .

I think with the Mandaya spear head the really distinguishing feature is the shape of the point .

Battara · 13th January 2011, 03:26 AM

Hmmmmm.......you may have a point (like the one on top of my head

). I realize I made an assumption of the flower "X"s being part of the Mandaya middle panel. Yet there are so few examples of these. I also noticed that one of your's Rick does not have such a panel.

I agree then that the tip and bottom are signs of Mandaya manufacture.

Rick · 14th January 2011, 01:25 AM

Yep, the only thing that confuses me are the integral sockets on my examples .

Are any spears from Mindanao tribes socketed as these are ??

Bill M · 14th January 2011, 05:17 AM

Here is mine

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...=mandaya+spear

Battara · 14th January 2011, 08:10 AM

Thanks Bill and Rick for posting yours.

The problem is that there are so few pictures or examples around (so far) and thus hard to say what kind of socket/sleeve/ferrule was common for these.

Rick · 14th January 2011, 03:39 PM

I know, that's what's driving me nuts about my pair .

The blades are very finely pattern welded; the sockets are plain steel forge welded to the blades .

Battara · 15th January 2011, 04:44 AM

Welded to the blades!?!

Never heard of that for Philippines............

Rick · 15th January 2011, 07:35 PM

Well, I don't know Jose; they came out of the Bandholtz Collection that was displayed at the Pan American Exposition ...

A mystery .

Battara · 16th January 2011, 12:57 AM

True a mystery, but a great provenance.............

tom hyle · 19th March 2011, 04:30 AM

The sockets are highly unusual to my experience of oceanic SEAsian spears. It is possible they are a foreign influence, or is it possible these were made in India (or?) for the Mindinao market?

10th January 2011, 05:44 AM	#1
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,219	Mandaya Spearheads Greetings. Just got these Mandaya spearheads from Oriental-Arms. These are two slightly different pieces. One has a trapazoidal tip and bottom and 15.5 inches. The other is 14.5 inches and tapers to the tip and is rounded on the bottom. Both do not have any laminations, but they do have central sections that have "X"s in the middle. Here are the pictures with one color painted picture of a Mandaya with a similar spear in hand. Enjoy! Attached Images

12th January 2011, 02:02 AM	#7
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,291	Then we have the socketed variety of Mandaya spear head .... These two have innumerable forged layers . Attached Images

10th January 2011, 01:35 PM	#2
tom hyle Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Houston, TX, USA Posts: 1,254	Very nice & interesting. Can anyone elucidate the difference between Moro, Lumad, and Visayan spear blades? The more rounded of these two particularly resembles Moro blades? Are the unpanelled ones with rhomboid bolsters Visayan?

11th January 2011, 11:08 PM	#3
Sajen Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Germany, Dortmund Posts: 8,770	Very nice spearheads. Every time when I see these spearheads as well Moro spearheads I wonder how it's possible to fix them secure with it's short tang to this long shafts. Regards, Detlef

11th January 2011, 11:49 PM	#4
Maurice Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 1,342	I was watching those too. Thank you for posting it with the image of the mandaya warrior. I had seen the spearheads and also I have the image of the warrior on my computer. But I didn't connected them together so didn't notice those were the same spearheads as on the image. Great to have a reference... Maurice

12th January 2011, 02:49 AM	#8
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,219	Thank you folks - truly rare finds indeed! (I thought of you Rick and your 2 pieces). Well the Mandaya is one of the lumad tribes, with some others being like the Bagobo, T'boli, Manobo, etc. One thing to notice is that most Mandaya spearheads have that trapazoidal tip and bottom with the "X"s in the middle. Moro spearheads (except the wavy ones) seem to taper with rounded bottoms and do not have "engraved" middle sections. I only wish that they had the sockets like Rick's (or were on shafts). STill happy with these, however.

12th January 2011, 03:16 PM	#9
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,291	Yours are the only other ones i've seen with the 'flower' pattern in the panel, Jose . You really don't see these very often; in 15 years I've only seen yours and Bill's . I think with the Mandaya spear head the really distinguishing feature is the shape of the point .

13th January 2011, 03:26 AM	#10
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,219	Hmmmmm.......you may have a point (like the one on top of my head ). I realize I made an assumption of the flower "X"s being part of the Mandaya middle panel. Yet there are so few examples of these. I also noticed that one of your's Rick does not have such a panel. I agree then that the tip and bottom are signs of Mandaya manufacture.

14th January 2011, 01:25 AM	#11
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,291	Yep, the only thing that confuses me are the integral sockets on my examples . Are any spears from Mindanao tribes socketed as these are ??

14th January 2011, 05:17 AM	#12
Bill M Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: USA Georgia Posts: 1,599	Here is mine http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...=mandaya+spear

14th January 2011, 08:10 AM	#13
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,219	Thanks Bill and Rick for posting yours. The problem is that there are so few pictures or examples around (so far) and thus hard to say what kind of socket/sleeve/ferrule was common for these.

14th January 2011, 03:39 PM	#14
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,291	I know, that's what's driving me nuts about my pair . The blades are very finely pattern welded; the sockets are plain steel forge welded to the blades .

15th January 2011, 04:44 AM	#15
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,219	Welded to the blades!?! Never heard of that for Philippines............

15th January 2011, 07:35 PM	#16
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,291	Well, I don't know Jose; they came out of the Bandholtz Collection that was displayed at the Pan American Exposition ... A mystery .

16th January 2011, 12:57 AM	#17
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,219	True a mystery, but a great provenance.............

19th March 2011, 04:30 AM	#18
tom hyle Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Houston, TX, USA Posts: 1,254	The sockets are highly unusual to my experience of oceanic SEAsian spears. It is possible they are a foreign influence, or is it possible these were made in India (or?) for the Mindinao market?