1910s Borneo Dayak Tailed Woman Hoax Japanese Nanyokan Ethnographic Blue Risque Postcard

Front Description

This is an early Japanese ethnographic curiosity postcard printed in blue monochrome collotype. It illustrates the "tailed people of Borneo" legend that circulated widely in the early twentieth century. The main caption is printed in red along the bottom margin, right to left: "人尾有族ヤイダ、オネルボ". Read in the correct order this is "ボルネオ、ダイヤ族有尾人" (Boruneo, Daiya-zoku Yūbijin – Borneo, Tailed Person of the Dayak Tribe).

Two further red captions appear at lower right, also printed right to left. The first reads "版藏館洋南", which is "南洋館藏版" (Nan'yōkan Zōhan – Published by Nan'yōkan, the "South Seas House"). The second reads "(有所權版)", which is "(版權所有)" (Hanken Shoyū – Copyright Reserved). A square red seal-style publisher's mark in stylised seal script is printed at lower left.

The photograph shows an unclothed woman seen from behind. She lies full-length on her front on a woven rattan or pandanus mat, with her face turned away. Her long dark hair falls over her shoulders, and one hand is raised to her head. A short, dark, curved "tail" appears at the base of her spine. It was almost certainly added by retouching or placed as a prop to support the tailed-people myth, which appeared in popular Japanese publications about the Nan'yō (South Seas). A large woven mat hangs on the wall behind her, and a matching mat covers the floor. The pose and framing are discreet: no frontal nudity is shown.

The card has a soft blue tone typical of early collotype printing. It shows light corner and edge wear and a faint light spot near the red seal. Overall condition is good.

Back Description

The back is printed in dark blue ink.

At top centre is "POST CARD", with "CARTE POSTALE POSTKARTE" beneath it. A stamp box with a dotted outline sits at upper right.

Printed vertically on the right side is "郵便はがき" (Yūbin Hagaki – Postcard). The characters are printed in reversed sequence, reading "きがは便郵" from top to bottom.

A dotted vertical line divides the message side from the address side.

The card is unused. There is no stamp, postmark, address or message. The reverse has light toning, a few small specks and minor edge wear.

Estimated Era

This card dates from about 1910 to 1920, the late Meiji to Taishō period. It is not a wartime card.

The main dating evidence is as follows:

• The back uses a trilingual "POST CARD / CARTE POSTALE / POSTKARTE" heading. This style appears on Japanese cards of the 1900s–1910s and was generally dropped by the 1920s.
• The divided back has a dotted dividing line and a dotted stamp box.
• The image is printed in blue collotype, a technique popular in Japanese postcard production in the 1910s.
• The publisher is "南洋館" (Nan'yōkan), a name tied to the wave of Japanese popular interest in the South Seas that followed Japan's acquisition of the German Pacific islands in 1914.

The "tailed Dayak" theme reflects the sensational ethnographic myths about Borneo that were current in the early twentieth century. The card is a scarce curiosity, sought after by collectors of Borneo, Nan'yō and early Japanese ethnographic ephemera.

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