Dayak Iban body armor?

Bill M · 27th November 2006, 11:42 AM

Well, not all weapons are made of steel, brass, wood and ivory.

This Iban jacket is ex Mark Johnson and Robert Caldwell. The seller says:

"Iban Dayak Culture, Sarawak Region, Borneo, late 19th Century. This is a very rare Man's war/hunting jacket or "kalambi"; the women weave these special jackets to protect their men from the arrows of the enemy and the evil spirits of the forests. Woven from hand grown, handspun cotton, with Ikat dyed main panels with rare Kilim or slit tapestry weave bottom border. The native dyes used are Kumba root for the red and Indigo blue to create rare anthropomorphic "engkaramba" protective spirit figures.

See Tribal Magazine number 29, Winter 2002. Measuring 107 x 61cm. (42 x 24")"

But a bit faded. The colors were originally much brighter. Apologies for the front picture looking distorted. Jacket was not laying flat when I took the pictures.

The Mandau on the left in my display picture is the longest in my small Dayak collection. OAL 25". The small knife on the back has a distinctly Batak influence.

Dajak · 27th November 2006, 12:12 PM

Hi Bill nice display these are just jackets to wear not used for armour
here a picture from mine jacket this one has no sleeve s

Bill M · 27th November 2006, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dajak

Hi Bill nice display these are just jackets to wear not used for armour
here a picture from mine jacket this one has no sleeve s

Hi Ben,

I understand that cloth will not stop a blade, but didn't the Iban wear these as a kind of armor to keep them safe from enemies, both physical and spiritual?

It is my understanding that they feared spiritual attacks from deceased animals, enemies and inimical spirits.

Not all armor is hard metal or horn. Not all weapons have an immediate utilitarian function. Do you agree?

Or did the Iban wear jackets like these strictly for modesty or decoratiive social outings?

VVV · 27th November 2006, 12:53 PM

Hi Bill,

Could you share some pictures of the blades etc. on your three Mandau?
I am especially interested in the one with wooden hilt.

Michael

Dajak · 27th November 2006, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Marsh

Hi Ben,

Or did the Iban wear jackets like these strictly for modesty or decoratiive social outings?

I think that it is also for social and ritual outings

Ben

VANDOO · 27th November 2006, 05:10 PM

NICE JACKET!! FROM WHAT LITTLE I KNOW ABOUT IKATS (THE PATTERNS AND STYLE OF WEAVING ,COLORS ECT ALL HAVE SPECIAL MEANINGS AND CAN BE INTENDED TO BRING LUCK, PROTECT FROM EVIL SPIRITS,BRING WEALTH ,DENOTE STATUS IDENTIFY A TRIBE OR GROUP AND MANY OTHER PURPOSES. SOME DYES AND PATTERNS WERE ONLY ALLOWED TO BE OWNED OR WORN BY CERTIAN PEOPLE OR AT CERTIAN CEREMONYS. THESE BELIEFS ARE MOSTLY IN THE PAST NOW AND ONLY IMPORTANT TO THOSE WHO SELL,MAKE OR COLLECT IKATS TODAY. NOT BEING A IKAT COLLECTOR EXCEPT FOR DECOR I KNOW VERY LITTLE BUT THERE ARE MANY SERIOUS COLLECTORS OUT THERE AND IKATS ARE JUST AS COMPLICATED AS WEAPONS PERHAPS MORE SO. I WOULD NOT CLASSIFY THE GARMENTS AS ARMOR BUT THEY MAY SHOW STATUS OR HAVE TAILSMANIC PROPERTIES

Dajak · 27th November 2006, 06:49 PM

Hi Vandoo it is no ikat Iban call it pua when the Ibans came home with the heads their woman stand already with the Pua to put the heads in it

see pic

Dajak · 27th November 2006, 06:50 PM

Hi Bill here some dajaks with war cloth

VANDOO · 28th November 2006, 06:35 AM

IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE DAYAK MAY HAVE ADOPTED SOME FORM OF ARMOR FROM THE MORO TRADERS AND PIRATES. I HAVE SEEN SOME EXAMPLES MADE OF BONE OR HORN PLATES MUCH LIKE THE ONES COMING FROM THE PHILIPPINES COME FROM BORNEO.
THERE MAY ALSO HAVE BEEN A LIGHT KIND OF ARMOR CAPABLE OF TURNING A BLOWGUN DART IF THEY WERE USED IN WARFARE OR FOR AMBUSH

AS ACCURATE AS THE DAYAK WERE WITH THE BLOWGUN I DOUBT ANYTHING LESS THAN FULL COVERAGE WOULD WORK, SO I DOUBT IT EXHISTED FOR BLOWGUN PROTECTION.
I WILL INCLUDE SOME PICTURES OF A CEREMONIAL EXAMPLE FROM BORNEO AS WELL AS TWO FROM TORAJA.

VANDOO · 28th November 2006, 06:42 AM

TORAJA DIDN'T COME THRU SO I WILL TRY AGAIN.

Bill M · 28th November 2006, 12:30 PM

Thanks for the posts VANDOO and Dajak.

My point in posting this jacket originally was to say that weapons come in all different arenas. Sure a textile - shirt / war jacket would not be very effiective at stopping a club, bullet, arrow, blowgun, sword or spear.

But maybe that was not what it was about -- originally.

And I am sure that the Dayak did not go to the trouble to carefully weave certain patterns to make themselves look pretty on social occasions. They were very serious about these jackets offering some kind of protection when they went on raids and hunting expiditions.

It would have been a very bad thing to go head hunting and wind up with your head in someone else's longhouse, wrapped in one of their pua!

So some warrior's woman had a dream, wove a pattern and made her man this jacket over a hundred years ago. Maybe he went hunting and came back safely. Maybe they thought his success was related to the jacket. Maybe they thought it made him invisible to his enemies, both physical and also spritual.

I feel strongly that we miss a lot of the importance and richness of these cultures by NOT studying other aspects of the cultures besides sharp pointy metal --- even though I find the traditional weapons of steel to be fascinating.

Certainly we have different beliefs. I would not put a lot of faith in a jacket like this to protect me from someone hunting me with a sharp pointy weapon.

But they did.

And I suggest that if you or I were out in the jungles of Borneo, in the dark, with growly creatures around, and we did not have access to Kevlar, a little hand-woven jacket like this might make us feel a little better.

I am sure that it made the original owner feel better a hundred years ago and maybe it did more than just make him feel better........

VVV · 28th November 2006, 04:08 PM

Vandoo,

Interesting that you also show the Toraja armour.
I have seen resembling armour like yours but not with that many "buttons" before. Usually they are white on the old pictures.
The matching helmet is also cool.
The more usual ones seems to be those with large, flat buffalo horn attached to the front. But now and then you see other forms also. Like yours or more pileshaped.

It's strange that the Toraja tribes doesn't get the same kind of attention as f.i. the Dayak tribes.
I really like their swords and spears.
Unfortunately I don't have any space left for shields and armour.

On the resemblence of Dayak and Moro armour I suspect that the armour you have seen might be from Moros living on Borneo?
Especially if it was from Sabah?

Michael

VANDOO · 28th November 2006, 06:38 PM

I WAS NOT ABLE TO GET THE OTHER EXAMOLE OF TORAJA ARMOR TO COME THRU SO WILL TRY AGAIN IT FEATURES SHELL DISKS INSTEAD OF SEA BEANS.

OH WELL I GUESS THAT PICTURE JUST DOSEN'T WANT TO BE POSTED. I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL TYPES OF WHAT I REFER TO AS OCEANIC ARMOR. SOME FEATURE THICK FIBER VESTS AND SOMETIMES PANTS OR AT LEAST GROIN PROTECTION. OTHERS INCORPORATE PLATES OF , HORN, SEA SHELL, TURTLE SHELL , WOOD, BONE ,SEA BEANS ECT.

INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH OFTEN THEY WERE USED FOR RITUAL COMBAT OR SHOW AND NOT IN OPEN WARFARE, THE MARSHALL ISLANDS ARMOR COMES TO MIND. ON NIAS THE VILLAGE GAURD WORE SOME VERY IMPRESSIVE ARMOR THE EXAMPLES I HAVE SEEN WERE MADE OF STEEL BUT I SUSPECT THAT THE OLDER ONES WERE MUCH LIKE THAT FOUND IN TORAJA.

I DOUBT THAT A FANCY PUA SHIRT WOULD HAVE BEEN WORN ON A HEADHUNTING RAID AS IT WOULD BE TOO HOT AND TOO VALUABLE TO RISK LOOSING IT ALONG WITH YOUR HEAD. I WOULD GUESS THAT THEY WERE WORN ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS AROUND THE VILLAGE OR ON PEACFUL TRIPS TO OTHER VILLAGES. THE WARRIORS USUALLY WORE ENOUGH AMULETS ON WEAPONS, NECKLACES,ARM BANDS ECT. TO GAURD THEM ON RAIDS WHICH WERE OFTEN VERY SLOW AND QUIET ON THE WAY IN AND VERY FAST ON THE WAY BACK HOME REGARDLESS IF IT WERE A SUCCESS OR NOT. NOT HAVING BEEN THERE THESE ARE ONLY MY OPINIONS AS NOTHING CAN BE PROVEN EITHER WAY.

Dajak · 29th November 2006, 06:58 AM

[

I DOUBT THAT A FANCY PUA SHIRT WOULD HAVE BEEN WORN ON A HEADHUNTING RAID AS IT WOULD BE TOO HOT AND TOO VALUABLE TO RISK LOOSING IT ALONG WITH YOUR HEAD. I WOULD GUESS THAT THEY WERE WORN ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS AROUND THE VILLAGE OR ON PEACFUL TRIPS TO OTHER VILLAGES. THE WARRIORS USUALLY WORE ENOUGH AMULETS ON WEAPONS, NECKLACES,ARM BANDS ECT. TO GAURD THEM ON RAIDS WHICH WERE OFTEN VERY SLOW AND QUIET ON THE WAY IN AND VERY FAST ON THE WAY BACK HOME REGARDLESS IF IT WERE A SUCCESS OR NOT. NOT HAVING BEEN THERE THESE ARE ONLY MY OPINIONS AS NOTHING CAN BE PROVEN EITHER WAY.

[/QUOTE]

Hi Vandoo you right about this textiles for decoration or as the Iban says
to make things look nice

the use off patterned cloth marks the occasion as an important ritual event

All this can be read in the book The Women s Warpath
iban ritual fabrics from Borneo
if you wanna have the book and don t get it let me now I have a few left

another one is iban or seadayak fabrics and their patterns

Ben

Bill M · 29th November 2006, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dajak

[

The Women s Warpath iban ritual fabrics from Borneo

Got this one

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dajak

another one is iban or seadayak fabrics and their patterns

Ben

Can't find the second book. is that the exact title? Do you have any of these for sale?

Albert · 1st December 2006, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Marsh

Got this one

Can't find the second book. is that the exact title? Do you have any of these for sale?

On this site you can find almost any book.
www.bookfinder.com

Of: Gavin, Traude. THE WOMEN'S WARPATH. IBAN RITUAL FABRICS FROM BORNEO. you can find plenty there.

Albert

Bill M · 4th December 2006, 12:33 PM

Thank you Ben and Albert. Have ordered both books. Let's see if I can get some better information.

27th November 2006, 11:42 AM	#1
Bill M Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: USA Georgia Posts: 1,599	Dayak Iban body armor? Well, not all weapons are made of steel, brass, wood and ivory. This Iban jacket is ex Mark Johnson and Robert Caldwell. The seller says: "Iban Dayak Culture, Sarawak Region, Borneo, late 19th Century. This is a very rare Man's war/hunting jacket or "kalambi"; the women weave these special jackets to protect their men from the arrows of the enemy and the evil spirits of the forests. Woven from hand grown, handspun cotton, with Ikat dyed main panels with rare Kilim or slit tapestry weave bottom border. The native dyes used are Kumba root for the red and Indigo blue to create rare anthropomorphic "engkaramba" protective spirit figures. See Tribal Magazine number 29, Winter 2002. Measuring 107 x 61cm. (42 x 24")" But a bit faded. The colors were originally much brighter. Apologies for the front picture looking distorted. Jacket was not laying flat when I took the pictures. The Mandau on the left in my display picture is the longest in my small Dayak collection. OAL 25". The small knife on the back has a distinctly Batak influence. Attached Images

27th November 2006, 12:12 PM	#2
Dajak Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 951	Hi Bill nice display these are just jackets to wear not used for armour here a picture from mine jacket this one has no sleeve s Attached Images

27th November 2006, 06:49 PM	#7
Dajak Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 951	Hi Vandoo it is no ikat Iban call it pua when the Ibans came home with the heads their woman stand already with the Pua to put the heads in it see pic Attached Images

27th November 2006, 06:50 PM	#8
Dajak Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 951	Hi Bill here some dajaks with war cloth Attached Images

28th November 2006, 06:35 AM	#9
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE DAYAK MAY HAVE ADOPTED SOME FORM OF ARMOR FROM THE MORO TRADERS AND PIRATES. I HAVE SEEN SOME EXAMPLES MADE OF BONE OR HORN PLATES MUCH LIKE THE ONES COMING FROM THE PHILIPPINES COME FROM BORNEO. THERE MAY ALSO HAVE BEEN A LIGHT KIND OF ARMOR CAPABLE OF TURNING A BLOWGUN DART IF THEY WERE USED IN WARFARE OR FOR AMBUSH AS ACCURATE AS THE DAYAK WERE WITH THE BLOWGUN I DOUBT ANYTHING LESS THAN FULL COVERAGE WOULD WORK, SO I DOUBT IT EXHISTED FOR BLOWGUN PROTECTION. I WILL INCLUDE SOME PICTURES OF A CEREMONIAL EXAMPLE FROM BORNEO AS WELL AS TWO FROM TORAJA. Attached Images

27th November 2006, 12:53 PM	#4
VVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sweden Posts: 1,637	Hi Bill, Could you share some pictures of the blades etc. on your three Mandau? I am especially interested in the one with wooden hilt. Michael

27th November 2006, 05:10 PM	#6
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	NICE JACKET!! FROM WHAT LITTLE I KNOW ABOUT IKATS (THE PATTERNS AND STYLE OF WEAVING ,COLORS ECT ALL HAVE SPECIAL MEANINGS AND CAN BE INTENDED TO BRING LUCK, PROTECT FROM EVIL SPIRITS,BRING WEALTH ,DENOTE STATUS IDENTIFY A TRIBE OR GROUP AND MANY OTHER PURPOSES. SOME DYES AND PATTERNS WERE ONLY ALLOWED TO BE OWNED OR WORN BY CERTIAN PEOPLE OR AT CERTIAN CEREMONYS. THESE BELIEFS ARE MOSTLY IN THE PAST NOW AND ONLY IMPORTANT TO THOSE WHO SELL,MAKE OR COLLECT IKATS TODAY. NOT BEING A IKAT COLLECTOR EXCEPT FOR DECOR I KNOW VERY LITTLE BUT THERE ARE MANY SERIOUS COLLECTORS OUT THERE AND IKATS ARE JUST AS COMPLICATED AS WEAPONS PERHAPS MORE SO. I WOULD NOT CLASSIFY THE GARMENTS AS ARMOR BUT THEY MAY SHOW STATUS OR HAVE TAILSMANIC PROPERTIES

28th November 2006, 06:42 AM	#10
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	TORAJA DIDN'T COME THRU SO I WILL TRY AGAIN. Attached Images

28th November 2006, 12:30 PM	#11
Bill M Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: USA Georgia Posts: 1,599	Thanks for the posts VANDOO and Dajak. My point in posting this jacket originally was to say that weapons come in all different arenas. Sure a textile - shirt / war jacket would not be very effiective at stopping a club, bullet, arrow, blowgun, sword or spear. But maybe that was not what it was about -- originally. And I am sure that the Dayak did not go to the trouble to carefully weave certain patterns to make themselves look pretty on social occasions. They were very serious about these jackets offering some kind of protection when they went on raids and hunting expiditions. It would have been a very bad thing to go head hunting and wind up with your head in someone else's longhouse, wrapped in one of their pua! So some warrior's woman had a dream, wove a pattern and made her man this jacket over a hundred years ago. Maybe he went hunting and came back safely. Maybe they thought his success was related to the jacket. Maybe they thought it made him invisible to his enemies, both physical and also spritual. I feel strongly that we miss a lot of the importance and richness of these cultures by NOT studying other aspects of the cultures besides sharp pointy metal --- even though I find the traditional weapons of steel to be fascinating. Certainly we have different beliefs. I would not put a lot of faith in a jacket like this to protect me from someone hunting me with a sharp pointy weapon. But they did. And I suggest that if you or I were out in the jungles of Borneo, in the dark, with growly creatures around, and we did not have access to Kevlar, a little hand-woven jacket like this might make us feel a little better. I am sure that it made the original owner feel better a hundred years ago and maybe it did more than just make him feel better........

28th November 2006, 04:08 PM	#12
VVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sweden Posts: 1,637	Vandoo, Interesting that you also show the Toraja armour. I have seen resembling armour like yours but not with that many "buttons" before. Usually they are white on the old pictures. The matching helmet is also cool. The more usual ones seems to be those with large, flat buffalo horn attached to the front. But now and then you see other forms also. Like yours or more pileshaped. It's strange that the Toraja tribes doesn't get the same kind of attention as f.i. the Dayak tribes. I really like their swords and spears. Unfortunately I don't have any space left for shields and armour. On the resemblence of Dayak and Moro armour I suspect that the armour you have seen might be from Moros living on Borneo? Especially if it was from Sabah? Michael

28th November 2006, 06:38 PM	#13
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	I WAS NOT ABLE TO GET THE OTHER EXAMOLE OF TORAJA ARMOR TO COME THRU SO WILL TRY AGAIN IT FEATURES SHELL DISKS INSTEAD OF SEA BEANS. OH WELL I GUESS THAT PICTURE JUST DOSEN'T WANT TO BE POSTED. I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL TYPES OF WHAT I REFER TO AS OCEANIC ARMOR. SOME FEATURE THICK FIBER VESTS AND SOMETIMES PANTS OR AT LEAST GROIN PROTECTION. OTHERS INCORPORATE PLATES OF , HORN, SEA SHELL, TURTLE SHELL , WOOD, BONE ,SEA BEANS ECT. INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH OFTEN THEY WERE USED FOR RITUAL COMBAT OR SHOW AND NOT IN OPEN WARFARE, THE MARSHALL ISLANDS ARMOR COMES TO MIND. ON NIAS THE VILLAGE GAURD WORE SOME VERY IMPRESSIVE ARMOR THE EXAMPLES I HAVE SEEN WERE MADE OF STEEL BUT I SUSPECT THAT THE OLDER ONES WERE MUCH LIKE THAT FOUND IN TORAJA. I DOUBT THAT A FANCY PUA SHIRT WOULD HAVE BEEN WORN ON A HEADHUNTING RAID AS IT WOULD BE TOO HOT AND TOO VALUABLE TO RISK LOOSING IT ALONG WITH YOUR HEAD. I WOULD GUESS THAT THEY WERE WORN ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS AROUND THE VILLAGE OR ON PEACFUL TRIPS TO OTHER VILLAGES. THE WARRIORS USUALLY WORE ENOUGH AMULETS ON WEAPONS, NECKLACES,ARM BANDS ECT. TO GAURD THEM ON RAIDS WHICH WERE OFTEN VERY SLOW AND QUIET ON THE WAY IN AND VERY FAST ON THE WAY BACK HOME REGARDLESS IF IT WERE A SUCCESS OR NOT. NOT HAVING BEEN THERE THESE ARE ONLY MY OPINIONS AS NOTHING CAN BE PROVEN EITHER WAY. Last edited by VANDOO; 28th November 2006 at 07:06 PM.

29th November 2006, 06:58 AM	#14
Dajak Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 951	[ I DOUBT THAT A FANCY PUA SHIRT WOULD HAVE BEEN WORN ON A HEADHUNTING RAID AS IT WOULD BE TOO HOT AND TOO VALUABLE TO RISK LOOSING IT ALONG WITH YOUR HEAD. I WOULD GUESS THAT THEY WERE WORN ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS AROUND THE VILLAGE OR ON PEACFUL TRIPS TO OTHER VILLAGES. THE WARRIORS USUALLY WORE ENOUGH AMULETS ON WEAPONS, NECKLACES,ARM BANDS ECT. TO GAURD THEM ON RAIDS WHICH WERE OFTEN VERY SLOW AND QUIET ON THE WAY IN AND VERY FAST ON THE WAY BACK HOME REGARDLESS IF IT WERE A SUCCESS OR NOT. NOT HAVING BEEN THERE THESE ARE ONLY MY OPINIONS AS NOTHING CAN BE PROVEN EITHER WAY. [/QUOTE] Hi Vandoo you right about this textiles for decoration or as the Iban says to make things look nice the use off patterned cloth marks the occasion as an important ritual event All this can be read in the book The Women s Warpath iban ritual fabrics from Borneo if you wanna have the book and don t get it let me now I have a few left another one is iban or seadayak fabrics and their patterns Ben

4th December 2006, 12:33 PM	#17
Bill M Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: USA Georgia Posts: 1,599	Thank you Ben and Albert. Have ordered both books. Let's see if I can get some better information.