Title
Mandau sword hilt
Year/Period
Late 19th-early 20th centuries
Region
Sarawak, Borneo
Object Type
Material
Technique
Dimension
Object size: L12.0 x W6.0 cm
Accession No.
2000-00172
Collection of
This sword hilt known as a ‘mandau’, comes from the Kayan or Kenyah Dayak peoples of inland Sarawak. The hilt has very elaborate carvings depicting humans, animals and abstract designs. It is made of deer antler or possibly bone. Such hilts were often richly decorated with fur, feathers and talismans to protect the warriors who used them. In the past, the Kayan and Kenyah had stratified societies - nobles, commoners and slaves - and hilts of this level of quality would have been kept only by individuals of the nobility.
