Mandau, it's not! What is it??

[kino]

Tell me please

The scabbard is much longer than the sword. The sword fits right into the scabbard, which leads me to think that it's an original. I believe the little knife is detachable, but I don't want to force it off. The hilt is made of horn with similar decorated carvings on both sides of the pommel. There is a snake carved onto the scabbard. Also carved on the upper part of the scabbard is a human figure carrying a bucket or a pot. Wooden pegs hold the scabbard together.

Questions: Why is the scabbard longer than the sword?
How old is it?
What tribe?
Parang, what?

[VVV]

This parang is supposed to be Iban and the hilt resembles the Niabor.
In Spring last year I was within a couple of weeks offered 2 resembling ones from 2 different dealers.
Both of them regulary visit Borneo to acquire Dayak parang and I wouldn't be surprised if they shared some sources?
Before that I have never seen it and I haven't found anything even slightly resembling in any museum databases or in any of the books and articles written about Borneo.
Yours is the third example and I can conclude comparing them that:

- all of them have much longer scabbards than blade (which is strange).
- all of them have Niabor resembling hilts but the carved hilt motifs are quite different on all three.
- all of them have the snake carved along the scabbard.
- 2 of 3 have the bucket-man motif.
- 2 of 3 have several old coins attached to the scabbard mouth (one of them had 4 and the other had 16!).
- the knife is detachable but of a form that is not typical Dayak?
- the other 2 had more brownish scabbards with just a bit of red showing compared to yours.
- to me the carvings look 20th C and the motifs are not what I have usually seen on parang scabbards.

Michael

[Dajak]

Hi I see a few off these It is an copy from the old ones that I see .
Old ones have similar carvings and coins on the scabbard .

Not much around these ones

Ben

[kino]

Thanks Mike and Ben for sharing your insight.

[Mytribalworld]

Originally Posted by VVV

This parang is supposed to be Iban and the hilt resembles the Niabor.
In Spring last year I was within a couple of weeks offered 2 resembling ones from 2 different dealers.
Both of them regulary visit Borneo to acquire Dayak parang and I wouldn't be surprised if they shared some sources?
Before that I have never seen it and I haven't found anything even slightly resembling in any museum databases or in any of the books and articles written about Borneo.
Yours is the third example and I can conclude comparing them that:

- all of them have much longer scabbards than blade (which is strange).
- all of them have Niabor resembling hilts but the carved hilt motifs are quite different on all three.
- all of them have the snake carved along the scabbard.
- 2 of 3 have the bucket-man motif.
- 2 of 3 have several old coins attached to the scabbard mouth (one of them had 4 and the other had 16!).
- the knife is detachable but of a form that is not typical Dayak?
- the other 2 had more brownish scabbards with just a bit of red showing compared to yours.
- to me the carvings look 20th C and the motifs are not what I have usually seen on parang scabbards.

Michael

And here another one.....

[VVV]

Hi Arjan,

That is actually one of the two I was offered. IMHO the best one.

Michael

[kino]

Mandaukudi,
Can you post photos of the blade?

[Mytribalworld]

Originally Posted by kino

Mandaukudi,
Can you post photos of the blade?

Here he comes........

Ben, did the original also have that strange knife attachment on the beginning of the blade in stead of the more usuall krowit? ( hooks)

It shows more to be a kind of hybride between nyabor with a swiss armyknife, maybe the dayaks added it to use that as can opener in the middle of the bush?

Arjan.