Thanks Gavin. The handsome guy next to Piang, the officer (?) with the moustache, looks like J.J. Pershing who took up his post in Mindanao in the second half of 1899.

The other interesting thing is Piang was well known for gifting all sorts of things, including weapons, from Lantaka to knives depending on the rank or importance of the US Officer. Could the double lantaka under Piang's foot is one such gift.

Could be. The two lantaka are a matched pair with the external spiral grooves going in opposite directions. They look old but perhaps still serviceable. They would have made a handsome gift for an American officer. Piang was an astute reader of people, but I doubt he would have foreseen that Pershing would become a four star General and hold the position of General of the Army!

It was noted lantaka were only for Generals.

I suspect Taft probably took some fine things home with him after his introduction with Piang.

Junior officers were not left out either, they received Chickens most commonly.

Ian, is a "Matched" pair the correct lens where that lantaka is concerned?

The barrels are joined by an integral central rib running front to back, and are retained in a single pivot and articulation. I only see a single double barreled Lantaka.

Hi Gavin,

Yes, it is a double lantaka (two complete lantaka joined together), which I noticed at the time I made my post. They were not two lantaka that were plain, looked alike, and got married. They were actually designed and made to be a complementary pair (i.e., "matched"), albeit joined together into a single entity.

Thanks Ian,

I struggle with the terminology personally. (INSERTING BROKEN SHRUG EMOJI)

Another for reference.

Blade - 17.75 in.
Pommel - carabao horn

When I encountered this kris, I immediately remembered this thread and my assertion that the figural may be a naga, or snake. I encountered this pre-WW2 Maguindanao kris blade with a Maranao hilt (sorry I wasn't able to snap a pic of the whole blade). The snake is clearly depicted here :)

Hi Xas,

Good to see you posting another interesting kris. The snake (naga) motif on Maranao pieces in particular seems well established, but I think it may not go back very far. I posted a decorative 20th C gunong with a distinct naga hilt a while ago here. I'm wondering whether your kris might fall into the same category.

The hilt appears to be very flattened in thr plane of the blade, limiting the way in which it can be held. Uncommon orientation for a kris which usually has a circular cross-section. Do you think the hilt has a particular spiritual meaning?

Regards, Ian.

Halloo Ian! I think the pommel represents either lineage or political alignment. I'm betting it was made sometime pre-war, most conservative estimate would be postwar.

Xasterix,

Another of these snake-headed kris showed up in a Philippines auction recently. It was part of a large lot of ivory-hilted kris and gunong that I posted about here.
Below is a picture of that item taken from the auction site.
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