Tiger bells in South East Asia

Malaysia

Most bells are of the A type, in sizes varying from about 2,5 to 5 cm., the largest bells occurring with the Iban. In a bundle of 95 bells all bells are alternatives.

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Sarawak
Group: Iban

In 'Life in a longhouse'and other publications by photographer Hedda Morrison, tiger bells appear in many photographs such as in this (detail of a) picture of a girl in ceremonial dress. She wears a collar made of beads, with six tiger bells.

Photograph courtesy: Hedda Morrison, 'Life in the longhouse', 1988,
published Summer Times Publishing, Singapore

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An Iban ceremonial sword belt with a hornbill beak, beadwork and one tiger bell.

Photograph courtesy: Gilles Peret; in 'Hornbill and Dragon',
by Bernard Sellato, published by Elf Aquitaine Indonésie, 1989

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Iban man holding a small tiger bell in his hand, Longhouse Rumah Jamping

Many reports from tiger bells on necklaces, skirts, religious objects, etc. In the longhouses up river tiger bells can still be seen in actual use. One antique dealer in Kuching explained that the bells originally come from China and are often worn by small children (see also: Kalimantan).

String with tiger bell, tied to carrier, Iban, Longhouse Rumah Jamping

Iban necklace with old beads and tiger bells, author's collection,
bought in 1989, in Kapit, Sarawak

Dimensions

Tiger bell	Left	Centre	Right
Wide	3 cm.	3 cm.	3,3 cm.
High	2,4 cm.	2,4 cm.	3 cm.
Side	1,8 cm.	2 cm.	1,9 cm.
Hoop	0,4 cm.	0,4 cm.	0,6 cm.

Note the trapezium shape of the hoops and compare this with the hoops of the tiger bells of the Bahau Dayak and the Toraja bell reported by Kaudern.

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Tiger bell, Iban. Dimensions: 3,9 cm. wide, 3,1 cm height. 3,2 cm. side, hoop: 1,1.,cm.
Donated by Irene Lim-Reid, Bareo Gallery, Singapore in 1989

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Large tiger bell, Iban, dimensions: wide 4,5 cm, high 4,2 cm., side 3,8 cm. hoop 1,2 cm.

Tiger bell with long hoop, Iban, dimensions: 4,1 cm., high 3,8 cm.,
side 3,6 cm. hoop 1,4 cm

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Tiger bell with kauri shells, group: possibly Iban, dimensions: wide 3,5 cm.
high 3,2 cm., side 2,8 cm., hoop 0,8 cm.

These tiger bells were collected in Kuching and Kapit, Sarawak 1989.

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Group: Bidayu

Many tiger bells, mainly on necklaces together with beads, animal claws and sometimes cowrey shells. Tiger bells are still in use in the longhouses, including those near Kuching.

Several necklaces in a longhouse near Kuching. All bells are tiger bells. Photographed in 1989.

Various tiger bells found in one ethnic curio shop in Kuching. Bells are mainly from Bidayu amulets and necklaces, some from Iban (1989).

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Two tiger bells, amulets; Bidayu Dayak. I bought the bell on the left in the souvernir shop at the airport. Immediately after my bell was put in the bag, another bell was put on display. When I bought that bell too, again another bell was put on the display counter. My impression was that there was an almost unlimited supply of these bells...

Two tiger bells, amulets; Bidayu Dayak. I bought the bell on the left in the souvernir shop at the airport. Immediately after my bell was put in the bag, another bell was put on display. When I bought that bell too, again another bell was put on the display counter. My impression was that there was an almost unlimited supply of these bells...

Dimensions of the bells:
Larger bell: wide 2,9 cm. high 2,6 cm. side 2,2 cm. hoop 0,7 cm. trapezium shaped
Smaller bell: wide 2,6 cm., high 2,1 cm., side 1,2 cm., hoop 0,6 cm. trapezium shaped

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Two tiger bells, bought in Kuching, Sarawak by Annemarieke Koch. Please, compare: - the left bell with the tiger bell from Toraja and the Bahau Dayak (Ind.) - the right bell with the tigerbell from Timor (Ind.). Photograph: courtesy Annemarieke Koch.

Dimensions of the bells:
Larger bell: wide 3,2 cm. high 2,7 cm. side 2,5 cm. hoop 1,2 cm. trapezium shaped
Smaller bell: wide 2 cm., high 1,7 cm., side 1,5 cm., hoop 0,5 cm. square

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Group: unknown, possibly newly made, possibly for commercial purposes.

For sale on Borneo Artefacts' website: a bundle of alternative bells; description:

Brass bells. Win these bells for Christmas!! They are made of brass material, will never rust, there are total of 95 bells suitable for christmas tree display or simply a musical gift from Borneo and they make quite a noise. All bells are attached only by string, ready holes for all 95 bells are easily separated for easy decoration. Measurement: each bell 3 cm / 1,2 inch across. Item net weight is 2,3 kilograms / 5,1 lb.

Alternative tiger bell as pendant, bell from Sarawak. The design is reduced to several criss-crossed lines with only the eyes recognisable.

In 2010, in the National Museum in Kuching, the Borneo International Beads Conference was held. Tiger bells appear on several pictures. No details are given but it is evident that some of these bells are newly made.

The bells second and fourth from the left are either old bells or new bells based on the classic type A. The bell third from left is similar to alternative bells as shown on the Alternatives page.

One of the participants

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Note: No tiger bells were found with the Melanau and Kelabit Dayak.

Kelantan
Group: unknown

A letter from Ms. Inger Wulff, Danish National Museum, Copenhagen in 1976:

'I have tried to find such bells in our collection other than those on the Mongolian shaman costume, but only discovered one, which was attached to the wrist of a shadow puppet from Kelantan, Malaysia.'

Kelantan is one of the states of Malaysia where Islam is the main religion. Its immediate neighbour to the north is (the muslim part of) Thailand. The Wayang kulit shadow puppet show is well known in islamic Indonesia (mainly Java) and in Kelantan. It also occurs in the southern, islamic part of Thailand where it is called Nang Thalung. In Thailand many tiger bells of different types are still in use so it is possible that this tiger bell has arrived in Kelantan from Thailand.

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