Lot 164
Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Borneo, Central Kalimantan region, Dayak peoples, ca. 20th century CE. A long and formidable wooden blowgun, or sumpit (also known as sumpitan, sipet, or seput depending on language and region), with an iron spearhead affixed to its upper end by tight rattan wrappings. Measuring nearly six feet in length, this weapon embodies the traditional technology of the Dayak peoples of Borneo, where the blowgun was the principal distance weapon for both hunting and warfare. Expertly hollowed from a single hardwood shaft - often kayu besi (Eusideroxylon zwageri) - the tube was bored with heated iron and then polished smooth with plant fibers to ensure aerodynamic precision. It would have fired slender darts (damek) made from bamboo or palm leaf ribs, their bases fitted with pith cones to seal the bore. Many were tipped with brass, shark teeth, or sharpened bamboo and then coated with powerful plant-based poisons. The most feared of these was derived from the upas tree, a fast-acting nerve toxin that made even the smallest puncture lethal when fresh. Size: 70.5" L x 1.6" W (179.1 cm x 4.1 cm); 71" H (180.3 cm) on included custom stand.
Capable of launching darts at speeds exceeding 180 km/h, the sumpit could kill silently and with extraordinary accuracy up to 25 meters, with an effective range extending to 50 meters. Despite their deadly power, the animals taken in the hunt remained safe for consumption, as the poison was harmless when ingested. This example preserves its sleek cylindrical shaft and iron spearpoint, which gave the weapon a dual function for close combat. Its imposing height and elegant simplicity make it not only a weapon of utility but also an object of striking presence, evoking the ingenuity, skill, and traditions of the Dayak warrior-hunters who wielded such arms.
Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection, acquired from 2000 to 2010; ex-Joe Salamanca, California, USA collection
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#195696
- Condition: Small tear near bottom of rattan. Some light surface wear to wood and iron as shown with nicks to edge of blade. Otherwise, intact and excellent with rich patina.
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