An early Kenyah Mandau with some notable features.
In its scabbard this example is 74cms long. Out it is 71cms long, has a blade length of 56cms and is 1cm thick at the base of the spine.
The Mandau displays a very rich deep old-world patina throughout.
The antler hilt has been expertly carved, although, as seen in the photos, aspects have been worn with age. The grip retains most of its original binding which ends in a rare silver collar at the junction with the blade. Silver adornment are a rare thing on these sword types.
The blade is for serious work, it is thick, robust, and very efficiently balanced. The spine does show its layered surfaces and several simple engraving too.
The Convex blade face displays classic engraved motifs and alternating inlaid panels and it retains a keen cutting edge. The reverse displays engravings at the forte and seldom seen inlay at the upper end of the tip, as seen in the photos provided.
Its scabbard shows a lot of age and remains in healthy condition. It is bound with both rattan and metal strapping.
Both ends are deeply carved with the same symbols and motifs seen on the hilt. It retains the bark scabbard for the Pisau raut, but this is not present with the Mandau.
The standout features of this scabbard are a combination of the fine carvings, but also that it retains an old woven suspension baldric and large antler button and within the various bindings, three head-hunter trophy hair, taken from the heads of slain enemies. The Kenyah shields are famous for this practice of hair decoration, as noted within Hose and McDougall's The Pagan Tribes of Borneo, 1912.
These hair pieces are bound in both fabric and rattan, and are placed on bother outer faces of the scabbard and one between the secondary bark scabbard and the Mandau's inner scabbard face.
A remarkably well preserved primal weapon and accruements, one that invoked fear in to all who encountered it.
