Old kind of Mandau scabbard from Kutei

VVV · 13th May 2007, 03:33 PM

Here is a mandau I found last month.
It has a very old scabbard version from Kutei that I don't think has been published on this forum before.
The hilt is the old face version and the blade is undecorated which is also characteristic of this kind of mandau.

Michael

Mytribalworld · 15th May 2007, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VVV

Here is a mandau I found last month.
It has a very old scabbard version from Kutei that I don't think has been published on this forum before.
The hilt is the old face version and the blade is undecorated which is also characteristic of this kind of mandau.

Michael

Nice piece Michael,also here is good visable that the carved triangle on the scabbard once served as a kind of clip but in the later versions of mandaus more and more became one piece with the scabbard and lost its function.

Arjan.

ariel · 16th May 2007, 01:20 AM

I see that this one also lost the "plug" at the end of the handle. What were they made of? How resilient they were? Is the absence of it a conceivable sign of the age?

asomotif · 16th May 2007, 10:35 AM

Hello Michael,

Not published before on this webiste ?
Check again

Arjan made a thread recently including one Kutei mandau from my collection.

Best regards,
Willem

asomotif · 16th May 2007, 10:39 AM

There it is :
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=3967

Ps. very nice find Michael,

The knot (shell/mother of pearl) on the loop has 2 holes.
it looks like this is also something that you only find on the older mandaus.

VVV · 16th May 2007, 12:52 PM

So sorry Willem,

I only remembered that thread as discussing the hilts.

Ariel, the plug is made of resin (damar). Some have it and some don't.
I don't think it's an age indicator. Maybe an indicator of condition?

Michael

Dajak · 16th May 2007, 07:38 PM

Hi All there missing the damar on the end off the handle mostly did get lost and not replaced
There are some very old ones that has not been decorated
I personally think that the early one s had not much decoration
and that they started later with decoration

asomotif · 18th May 2007, 09:47 AM

Michael,

When would you say a mandau is from koetei ?
The rattanstrip on the scabbard. or the style of the handle or the combination ?

I have 4 scabbards with rattan strips now.

Dajak · 18th May 2007, 10:10 AM

Willem opschepper LOL

Ben

asomotif · 18th May 2007, 01:20 PM

Hi Ben !
English please ?!

Some more pictures of my very special, very rare, perfect condition, guaranteed pre 1900's, koetei mandau

Ps. Ben, how is the spear collection ?

Best regards,
Willem

Dajak · 19th May 2007, 08:05 AM

Hi Willem congratulations with your birthday

The spear collection is nice I have an rare murut spear and a few nice philipinne spears addit to my collection

you have an nice collection off koetei mandau s

That last one is one off the best

Ben

VVV · 20th May 2007, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asomotif

Michael,

When would you say a mandau is from koetei ?
The rattanstrip on the scabbard. or the style of the handle or the combination ?

I have 4 scabbards with rattan strips now.

Nice scabbards Willem!

On your question the hilt is of course a good tell.
The rattan stick along the scabbard is according to my experience more of an age indicator.

Michael

Dajak · 11th March 2015, 03:09 AM

The Rattan stick is used as protection for the sharp blade and not only from the koetei area.

Ben

kai · 11th March 2015, 05:54 AM

Hello Ben,

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dajak

The Rattan stick is used as protection for the sharp blade and not only from the koetei area.

Yes, also very common for old-style scabbards from Negara.

Any other examples of such scabbards from other regions/tribes?

Regards,
Kai

Maurice · 11th March 2015, 10:36 AM

The old style scabbards from Negara often had a carved "look-a-like" stick like the ones from Kutai, not a real one.

Best,
Maurice

CharlesS · 11th March 2015, 08:06 PM

So the rattan stick is designed to keep the blade from cutting through the woven rattan bands???...if so it was a good idea that should not have been given up considering how many swords we have seen cut through their rattan bound scabbards at the edges.

Dajak · 12th March 2015, 09:27 PM

It is more work to make it like this, and as we know the fine art work also disappear by time.....

I have an mandau late 1700 that do have the rattan strip and an handle that has 2 different sides....

And is not from koetei.

Ben

Battara · 13th March 2015, 01:53 AM

Is this blade profile and hilt as old as the scabbard?

Maurice · 13th March 2015, 02:10 AM

I have two in my collection with strip at the scabbard.
Both from East Borneo, Kutai.

This one is definately the best from both and one of my favorites in my collection...

asomotif · 13th March 2015, 11:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maurice

This one is definately the best from both and one of my favorites in my collection...

Wow, my avatar almost turned green with envy ;-)

Maurice · 16th March 2015, 06:57 PM

And this one is my other one.

Sajen · 16th March 2015, 08:22 PM

Both are very nice Maurice!

Thank's for sharing.

Regards,
Detlef

asomotif · 16th March 2015, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maurice

And this one is my other one.

Hmm... you could qualify them as "best" and "more best"

I like beads and blades with inlay, but the stag hilt is also very very nice.

Best regards,
Willem

13th May 2007, 03:33 PM	#1
VVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sweden Posts: 1,637	Old kind of Mandau scabbard from Kutei Here is a mandau I found last month. It has a very old scabbard version from Kutei that I don't think has been published on this forum before. The hilt is the old face version and the blade is undecorated which is also characteristic of this kind of mandau. Michael Attached Images

16th May 2007, 10:35 AM	#4
asomotif Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 2,225	Hello Michael, Not published before on this webiste ? Check again Arjan made a thread recently including one Kutei mandau from my collection. Best regards, Willem Attached Images

18th May 2007, 09:47 AM	#8
asomotif Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 2,225	Michael, When would you say a mandau is from koetei ? The rattanstrip on the scabbard. or the style of the handle or the combination ? I have 4 scabbards with rattan strips now. Attached Images

18th May 2007, 01:20 PM	#10
asomotif Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 2,225	Hi Ben ! English please ?! Some more pictures of my very special, very rare, perfect condition, guaranteed pre 1900's, koetei mandau Ps. Ben, how is the spear collection ? Best regards, Willem Attached Images

13th March 2015, 02:10 AM	#19
Maurice Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 1,349	I have two in my collection with strip at the scabbard. Both from East Borneo, Kutai. This one is definately the best from both and one of my favorites in my collection... Attached Images

16th May 2007, 01:20 AM	#3
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	I see that this one also lost the "plug" at the end of the handle. What were they made of? How resilient they were? Is the absence of it a conceivable sign of the age?

16th May 2007, 10:39 AM	#5
asomotif Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 2,225	There it is : http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=3967 Ps. very nice find Michael, The knot (shell/mother of pearl) on the loop has 2 holes. it looks like this is also something that you only find on the older mandaus.

16th May 2007, 12:52 PM	#6
VVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sweden Posts: 1,637	So sorry Willem, I only remembered that thread as discussing the hilts. Ariel, the plug is made of resin (damar). Some have it and some don't. I don't think it's an age indicator. Maybe an indicator of condition? Michael

16th May 2007, 07:38 PM	#7
Dajak Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 951	Hi All there missing the damar on the end off the handle mostly did get lost and not replaced There are some very old ones that has not been decorated I personally think that the early one s had not much decoration and that they started later with decoration

18th May 2007, 10:10 AM	#9
Dajak Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 951	Willem opschepper LOL Ben

19th May 2007, 08:05 AM	#11
Dajak Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 951	Hi Willem congratulations with your birthday The spear collection is nice I have an rare murut spear and a few nice philipinne spears addit to my collection you have an nice collection off koetei mandau s That last one is one off the best Ben

11th March 2015, 03:09 AM	#13
Dajak Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 951	The Rattan stick is used as protection for the sharp blade and not only from the koetei area. Ben

11th March 2015, 10:36 AM	#15
Maurice Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 1,349	The old style scabbards from Negara often had a carved "look-a-like" stick like the ones from Kutai, not a real one. Best, Maurice

11th March 2015, 08:06 PM	#16
CharlesS Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Greenville, NC Posts: 1,857	So the rattan stick is designed to keep the blade from cutting through the woven rattan bands???...if so it was a good idea that should not have been given up considering how many swords we have seen cut through their rattan bound scabbards at the edges.

12th March 2015, 09:27 PM	#17
Dajak Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 951	It is more work to make it like this, and as we know the fine art work also disappear by time..... I have an mandau late 1700 that do have the rattan strip and an handle that has 2 different sides.... And is not from koetei. Ben

13th March 2015, 01:53 AM	#18
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,226	Is this blade profile and hilt as old as the scabbard?

16th March 2015, 06:57 PM	#21
Maurice Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 1,349	And this one is my other one. Attached Images

16th March 2015, 08:22 PM	#22
Sajen Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Germany, Dortmund Posts: 8,786	Both are very nice Maurice! Thank's for sharing. Regards, Detlef

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