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Niabor (1924.68.1)
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Niabor (1924.68.1) 

MalaysiaMalaysiaNiabor from Sarawak, Malaysia, Asia. Collector not known. Purchased by the Museum from Stevens Auction Rooms in 1924.


The niabor is a kind of parang (sword) used by the Iban people of Sarawak in Borneo. In contrast to the mandau, the parang of their neighbours the Kayan people, the niabor is more curved, with a broader tip so the centre of gravity lies nearer the point.


Unlike many Bornean weapons, the blade is not decorated and there are no hair decorations on the hilt or wooden sheath. The V-shaped hilt, designed to protect the knuckles, is of elaborately carved antler and bound in brass rings. There is an unusual projection on a blunt section on the underside of the blade called a kundieng, which serves as a finger protector.