Introduction
Various types

Reports

Conclusions

Updates

Illustrations

Distribution

Contact us


Tiger bells in South Eest Asia

Indonesia

There are numerous reports of tiger bells in Indonesia, the majority from East Kalimantan (Kalimantan is the Indonesian part of Borneo), but also in other parts of the country. All bells are of the A type, in sizes varying from about 2 to 4 cm.

Kalimantan

Group: various Dayak groups

In the Leyden Ethnological Museum (Leyden, Neth.): several baby carriers from East and Central Kalimantan, one with 12 tiger bells, another with 5 tiger bells, together with ordinary pellet bells.

Baby carrier with twelve tiger bells

Close up of one of the bells

Baby carrier, Kayan Dayak, Upper Mahakam river. Collected by A.W. Nieuwenhuis and donated to the museum in 1901. The Chinese characters are explained on the Various types page.

Baby carrier with five tiger bells

The five tiger bells in close up

Baby carrier, group unknown, Kutei. Collected by S.W. Tromp, donated to the museum in 1883. The Chinese characters on the bells (not well visible) are transtlated by Prof. de Groot as 'happines together'.
In the Tropen museum (Amsterdam, Neth.): A baby carrier with three tiger bells (originally there were seven to eight bells).
In the Nijmegen University museum (Nijmegen, Neth.): several bells on various objects such as a walking stick, a cloth covered with bead work and several bells in bundles combined with four to six ordinary bells.
 
Left and right: walking stick with one tiger bell
Group: Kayan

In 'Travels through Borneo' (1935) an drawing with the caption 'Hawk's bell on Kayan necklace (Peek Coll.)'

Tiger bell as an amulet together with several old beads and three ordinary bells. This tiger bell is roughly made and similar to tiger bells from Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Group unknown

Dimensions: wide 3,4 cm. high 3,1 cm. side 2,6 cm. hoop 0,7 cm.
Tigerbell as an amulet and an ordinary bell, tied to package with magic medicine.

Group unknown

Dimensions: wide 2,6 cm. high 2,2 cm. side 1,5 cm. hoop 0,6 cm. (trapezium shaped)

Group: Benuaq

Twenty bells with tiger bells of varying size, with round hoops; on a belt worn by a shaman ('belian'). Photographed in 1985.
Group: Kenyah


Several tiger bells in various sizes, tied to children's ankles as an amulet. Seen in one village (Long Bagun Ilir, Mahakam river). When asked about the age of the bells, the answer was that they were already in the possession of the 'orang keturunan' ('the people that came down'): the ancestors who lived in the forests. A date or time could not be given. Reported and photographed in 1985.

Group: Bahau

Two tiger bells in a bundle of ordinary bells. One (in front) is similar to a tiger bell from Sulawesi reported by Kaudern. Photographed and collected in 1985 (bell in front).

There are several illustrations with tiger bells in 'Hornbill and Dragon' by Bernardo Sellato (Elf Aquitaine Indonesia, 1989). Some examples:

Baby carrier, Upper Mahakam, decorated with shells, beads, panther fangs
and several tiger bells. Photograph: Pierre Ivanoff,
courtesy Elf Aquitaine Indonesia

Baby carrier, Upper Mahakam, with 16 tiger bells. Photograph: Bernard Sellato,
courtesy Elf Aquitaine Indonesia

Baby carrier, Upper Mahakam, with beadwork, shells and tiger bells
Photograph: Dicky Wp, courtesy Elf Aquitaine Indonesia

On e-Bay tiger bells type A from Kalimantan are offered often. In most cases no or very little details are given.

One group of six classic tiger bells type A, for sale on e-Bay by webshop UnikaBorneo.
No details were given

Reported by Harald Lux, December 2011

Sulawesi

The case of the sword with three tiger bells given in Schwerter von Celebes is moved to The Philippines. The Lanun do not live in Sulawesi (formerly called Celebes) but in Mindanao, the Philippines.

Group: Toraja



Courtesy: Tropen Museum, Amsterdam

Belt with seven tiger bells, in the Tropen museum, Amsterdam; exhibited during the exposition 'From shaman to cyber space', 1998

One tiger bell, described in Art in Celebes by Walter Kaudern (1944):

These bells are laterally flattened with a square hoop, perforated for a suspending string. Below there is a rather broad slot, possibly meant to represent the mouth of an animal, two knobs on either side, surrounded by rings looking like two eyes. (Volume III, page 78, picture 77)

The actual bell is in the Leyden Museum (left):

Compare the Kaudern bell with the bell from the Bahau Dayak (below and above).

The actual bell, collected by W. Kaudern
The bell was donated to the Leyden Ethnological Museum in 1927. The bell comes from Koelawi Lemo, Central Sulawesi. It was worn hanging on
the back by women during feasts. The diameter is 3,2 cm. The hoop is trapezium shaped.
Author's collection, collected in 1989
Dimensions:
wide 3,4 cm.
high 3 cm.
side 2,5 cm.
hoop 0,8 cm. (trapezium shaped)
An illustration in 'Art in Celebes' by Walter Kaudern of a collar of bead work and coins and bells.
Description:
'Common bells and globular bells which the North Toraja use for ornamental purposes have more or less a religieus meaning with them.(....) Certain globular bells are covered with ornaments, such as the one seen in fig. 222E and E1 but these are of Chinese import.'
Flores

In the National Museum in Jakarta: one smaller tiger bell, tied to a dance stick (roé-roé). Collected in 1938, on display in 1983, later removed from the exhibition.

Bundles of tiger bells, tied to the ankles of male dancers performing a line dance. Shown in an episode of the anthropoligical tv series 'Man on the rim'.

Timor

One small tiger bell (width: appr. 2 cm.), originally tied to a stick, used by tribal elders for ceremonial purposes and dancing. The age of the bell was estimated by shop owner Eddy Lauren (Kuta, Bali) as 'older than Majapahit' (AD 1300). Author's collection

Dimensions: wide 2,1 cm. high 2 cm. side 1,2 cm. hoop 0,4 cm.

In the Municipal museum of Figueira da Foz (Portugal): a horse belt with four tiger bells (nr. N7122, collected in or before 1894).

Photograph: Joãs Jardin

Sumatra

Group: Minangkabau

In the Leyden Ethnological Museum: two bells (giring-giring) tied together, collected in Sungai Puar (no year given).The bells were used for cats. Dimensions: 3 x 3 x 2 cm. No collection or donation date given.

A Minangkabau blacksmith told me that tiger bells could probably still be found with the 'people from Sijunjung and those living on the slopes of the Merapi (on Sumatra, ed.)'.

Group: Toba Batak

In the Medan Regional Museum: one smaller tiger bell, tied to a ceremonial collar/necklace ('semara'), used in ritual dances by religious leaders. In the museum catalogue the semara has item number 151. The tiger bell is described as follows: At the top(...) a bronze bell with a human face (makara) is fixed.

Group: Batak, possibly Toba
One tiger bell, roughly made, bought in an antique shop in Prapat in 1986.

Dimensions: wide 3,6 cm. high 3,2 cm. side 2,6 cm. hoop 0,8 cm.
Sumba
Group: unknown
One tiger bell, said to be used for horses, bought in 1985).



Dimensions: wide 3,6 cm. high 3,2 cm. side 2,7 cm. hoop 1 cm.
Bali
Group: unknown, but probably used in Bali One tiger bell, said to be used for horses; bought in 1983.



Dimensions: wide 4 cm. high 3,5 cm. side 3,2 cm. hoop 1 cm.
Java
One small tiger bell, in an antique shop in Klaten. The owner, Om Bram, said that the bell was Chinese and dated from the T'ang dynasty, appr. 500 AD. Reported in 1981.
One bell, in the private collection of the Mankunegara Kraton in Solo, together with several ordinary bells.

Go back, to the top of the page
or continue to the next page

All text and photographs are copyrighted,
for information please contact F. de Jager