Mandau (knife)

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title: "Mandau (knife)" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["southeast-asian-swords", "weapons-of-indonesia", "weapons-of-malaysia"] description: "Traditional weapon of the Dayak people of Borneo" topic_path: "geography/indonesia" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandau_(knife)" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Traditional weapon of the Dayak people of Borneo ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox weapon"]

Field	Value
name	Mandau
image	COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Zwaard met gevest van been schede en mesje TMnr 391-120.jpg
image_size	350
caption	A mandau complete with a langgei puai (whittling blade), pre-1927.
origin	Borneo (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia)
type	Sword, cutlass, ceremonial blade
is_bladed	Yes
used_by	Dayak (Sea Dayak, Bidayuh, Kayan, Kenyah, Penan, Lun Bawang/Lundayeh)
blade_type	Single edge, one side convex and concave on the other side
hilt_type	Antler/deer horn, wood, animal or human hair
sheath_type	Wood, antler or bone fittings, animal or human hair
::

|name= Mandau | image= COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Zwaard met gevest van been schede en mesje TMnr 391-120.jpg | image_size = 350 |caption= A mandau complete with a langgei puai (whittling blade), pre-1927. |origin= Borneo (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia) |type= Sword, cutlass, ceremonial blade |is_bladed= Yes |service= |used_by= Dayak (Sea Dayak, Bidayuh, Kayan, Kenyah, Penan, Lun Bawang/Lundayeh) |wars= |designer= |design_date= |manufacturer= |unit_cost= |production_date= |number= |variants= |spec_label= |weight= |length= |part_length= |width= |height= |diameter= |crew= |blade_type= Single edge, one side convex and concave on the other side |hilt_type= Antler/deer horn, wood, animal or human hair |sheath_type= Wood, antler or bone fittings, animal or human hair |head_type= |haft_type=

A mandau is the traditional weapon of the Dayak people of Borneo.{{Cite book| last = Lumholtz| first = Carl | author-link = Carl Sofus Lumholtz| title = Through Central Borneo| year = 1920| url = https://archive.org/details/throughcentralb02lumhgoog|publisher=C. Scribner's sons|isbn=978-1-314-54676-7

Associated with the headhunting ceremony, in which people would gather to attack other tribes and gather heads to be used in various festivities, the mandau is both a work of art and a weapon.

Description

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/36/Mandau_blade_hilt_and_other_equipment.jpg" caption="Various parts that makes up a complete mandau."] ::

The mandau's blade is convex on one side and somewhat concave on the other side. It is mostly made of tempered metals, with exquisite vine-works and inlaid brass. The hilt is made from animal horns, such as deer horns, although some variations with human bones and fragrant wood also have been found. Both the hilt and scabbard are elaborately carved and plumed. Details of carvings vary from tribe to tribe, but mostly depict creatures or, if human bones were used, anthropomorphic deities. A mandau is often accompanied with a whittling knife, generally referred to as pisau raut.

Ambang

An ambang is a mandau made from common steel, often sold as a souvenir. Those who are not familiar with the mandau will often be unable to distinguish between a mandau and an ambang, because of their similar appearance. However the two are actually very different. The mandau's blade is engraved, and it is embedded with gold, copper or silver. It holds a stronger edge and is more flexible: it is said that the mandau is made from iron ore obtained from rocky mountains forged by skilled blacksmiths, whereas the ambang is made from ordinary steel.

In popular culture

As a symbol of Dayak culture, the mandau is frequently depicted in various ways. The Indonesian provinces of East Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, and Central Kalimantan all featured a mandau in their provincial emblems. The paramilitary organization Mandau Talawang Pancasila was named after the weapon. The insignia of the military commands Kodam VI/Mulawarman and Kodam XII/Tanjungpura in Indonesia also featured them.

References

References

1. Active Interest Media, Inc.. (October 1984). "Black Belt". Active Interest Media, Inc..
2. unknown. (2003). "Arts of Asia – Volume 33, Issues 4-6". Arts of Asia Publications, University of Virginia.
3. Albert G Van Zonneveld. (2002). "Traditional Weapons of the Indonesian Archipelago". Koninklyk Instituut Voor Taal Land.
4. Yuyus Kardiman, Yasnita Yasin, Aslidar & Windi Marathun Sholiha. (2010). "Masyarakat Indonesia: teropong antropologi budaya Indonesia". Laboratorium Sosial Politik Press.
5. Fikry, Muhammad I.. (2017-09-20). "Logo Provinsi Kalimantan Tengah".
6. "Arti dan Makna Lambang Provinsi Kalimantan Barat".
7. "Lambang".
8. van Klinken, Gerry. (2006-04-01). "Colonizing Borneo: State-Building and Ethnicity in Central Kalimantan". (untitled).

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::