Fire Piston
| Object Number: | P497B |
|---|---|
| Current Location: | Collections Storage |
| Culture: | Iban |
| Provenience: | Borneo Sarawak Saribas River |
| Section: | Oceanian |
| Materials: | Wood Metal Nut (plant) Plant Fiber |
| Length: | 12.1 cm |
| Credit Line: | Gift of Dr. William H. Furness 3rd., 1898 |
Description
Fire piston. Guchi api. Brass. Large nut shell with tinder inside. "A fire syringe, used by the Saribas Ibans, consisting of a brass cylinder lined with lead, and a tightly-fitting, wooden piston; on the tip of the piston is placed a small piece of tinder made from a mossy lichen, and by driving the piston violently into the cylinder and rapidly withdrawing it, the sudden compression and exhaustion of the air ignite the tinder. The operation requires great dexterity. (The Home-Life of Borneo Head-Hunters)
Current & Past Exhibitions:
| The Dayaks: Peoples of the Borneo Rain Forest (Furness, Hiller, Harrison Borneo Collection) (25 Feb 1989 - 01 Jul 1990) | View Objects in Exhibition |
Bibliography:
| [Book] Furness, William H. 1902. The Home-Life of Borneo Head-Hunters: Its Festivals and Folk-lore.. Philadelphia. J. B. Lippincott & Co. Actual Citation : Page/Fig./Plate: following p. 170, center right | View Objects related to this Actual Citation |
| [Book] McDougall, William, and Hose, Charles. 1912. The Pagan Tribes of Borneo.. London. Macmillan and Company. Type Citation : Page/Fig./Plate: Vol. I, pp. 198-199, Fig. 36 and Plate 108 | View Objects related to this Type Citation |
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