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Looking vintage and antique samples of Talibong of Panay Island
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Greetings everyone, hope you and your blades are doing OK.
I've recently acquired a blade that was ID'd as an Iloilo Talibong with a Binukay handle and Linamay blade profile [Linamay-Binukay], circa 1970s, made most likely by the Panay Bukidnon tribe. Would very much appreciate if other members can share their blades from Panay Island, especially vintage and antique ones. I believe that 'talibong' is similar to 'sundang' and 'itak'- it's a general term across Visayas that simply means 'blade'. In Panay island, a 'talibong' may also refer to a fighting blade. For reference, here's a link to the 'Filipino Traditional Blades' FB page with a sample of Panay Island talibongs (the names included are the smiths who made them) and their corresponding IDs, indicated as [blade profile - figural head name or utility] https://web.facebook.com/permalink.p...99561170798116 |
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i'll start with these three. would these qualify, or are you looking for a particular profile?
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Here you can see one of my examples, I would call it tenegre: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...hlight=Tenegre
Regards, Detlef |
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Great piece Detlef! Yes, you are correct in classifying it as Tenegre, with a Kinampit blade profile. I'm interested at the similarities between our pieces (especially on the scabbard part). Although I must say yours is better preserved. I'm curious- how does it handle in terms of weight distribution? Evenly weighted, tip- or hilt-weighted? |
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I posted a WWII era tenegre sometime back that is possibly from Panay. This would be vintage, not antique of course, though it won't be long before it reached that status.
Probably made for a WWII vet as a souvenir, but it has a thck, sharp and nasty blade on it. http://vikingsword.com/vb/showthread...hlight=Tenegre |
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Btw don't be confused when I call it Talibong (as it's a general term for a fighting blade); Tenegre is also a valid term that connotes the blade came from lowlanders. I read there that you were wondering why the sword was dressed up, here's the explanation as recounted by the collector who I bought mine from: "This is supposedly kept in the house and is only worn during fiestas and other occasions. The owner would wear a white polo shirt and tie the blade behind his back. It is not unusual for them to get into fights when they are inebriated. Most fights were slashing type of movements since apparently they did not want to kill each other. This went on till the late 80s because it was only the local government who maintained peace and order in remote areas. The Philippine Constabulary did not reach many barrios during those days." Another friend who was very familiar with the ways of the different tribes and locals in the area remarked that it was usually a very fatal warning sign if the owner of a talibong moved his sword from one side of his waist to the other. Talibong are also a focal point of esoteric practices; a sword is usually 'activated' via secret rituals. Otherwise, if swords do not undergo these, they are considered as 'empty'. |
Thank you Xasterix, special for proving the exact name of the blade profile. :) The sword is without scabbard 621 gram and tip-weighted, fast and nice in the hand. At my scabbard are missing two brass bands which have been in up and down over the leather throat, you can see it by the different patination. When you wish I can take some new pictures at weekend.
I would try carefully to bring back in original form the guard of the handle. It seems to be made from thin sheet so it will be good possible. By the thin guard and scabbbard style I would date yours to the mid of 20th century, my one around the turn of the centuries. Yours is a very nice good example from this time frame. I have a similar example, maybe a little later as yours and not so nice but sadly can't provide pictures since it isn't in my hands in the moment. Best regards, Detlef |
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Forget that I've once posted it here for discussion: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...hlight=visayan |
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I don't believe it was i who was curious about the manner of dress for this blade. While i appreciate your description of cultural usage i'm fairly certain that my example was made for a returning WWII U.S. soldier, especially given the American eagle holding the crossed U.S. and Filipino flags with the word "Victory" on the banner. |
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Yes, i suppose this blade my have seen some use before the war. One thing for certain is that it is a very serious blade, not made cheaply or just for show and it does show some wear, though in what context it is hard to say. |
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1. I'd tend to refer to this 17" blade as ginunting even if it exhibits a false edge & slight belly and leans forward a tad; hilt Bakunawa (= Binukay?). Ilonggo, I'd guess? 2. A basically straight 19" blade - IMHO it seems tough to call this a clip point; with such slender & straight blades the separation between bakutan and linamay seem to blur... BTW, what is the name of this traditional hilt style? Does the distinct scabbard style allow to narrow down its origin? Regards, Kai (pics courtesy of Oliver & Erik) |
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BTW, what language did you utilize as lingua franca for the given names (Panay pieces)? Any chance to assemble a table specifying the equivalent terms for all ethnic (sub)groups? Regarding the considerable ethnic/cultural diversity on Panay wouldn't it make sense to at least include Guiramas and Negros Occidental, too? Regards, Kai |
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1. Linamay- starts narrow from the tang, then straight spine, bulges near the tip, no false edge. 2. Bakutan- May be narrow all throughout or progresses in the same way as Linamay; a clip point starts from the last 1/5th or even 1/7th of the blade; the underside (blade edge) is round. May have a false edge. The main confusion, even among locals, is focused on the kinampit and ginunting, reason being that smiths from different areas in Panay may classify them about the same, or interchange the terms. With regard to FilTradBlade's classification, I believe they classify it as such: 3. Ginunting- Resembles an upside-down linamay. 4. Kinampit- Resembles the usual ginunting blade profile found in many modern blades. That being said...I use the 'kinampit' term more often, as the locals of Libacao, Aklan (the highlands) prefer use that as a catch-both term. There are several sources in Panay Island of modern talibong, I believe these may be the same sources for the vintage and antique ones [proceeds from municipality, province] : 1. Estancia, Iloilo 2. Sibalom, Antique 3. Culasi, Antique 4. Tapaz, Capiz 5. Libacao, Aklan Quote:
I'm including here additional pics of vintage Iloilo talibongs; also from the same source as mine. They haven't been restored yet, straight out of storage I think. |
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David, i think you're mistaking TFW with this page, and i assure you, it is not the same. the page that xasterix is referring to is legitimate. i have learned more about Filipino swords on that fb page (Filipino Traditional Blades) than anywhere else, including here. much kudos to the people that's running that page; they've done a lot in regards to researching the hundreds of different swords and knives found throughout the archipelago.
as far as TFW, whatever's on that site are either copied from the swords found all over the internet, sprinkled with what has been posted on this website, and the rest are nothing more that pure fantasy. again, the Filipino Traditional Blades is no way affiliated with the TFW site that you mentioned. i can't emphasized that enough |
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Decided to clean the sword further. Hope more people can share their precious talibong / tenegre / sanduko =) |
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Here is my taribon example:
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Thank you Xasterix.
For clarity's sake, I restored the top part of the nose and one of the coin "ears" as well as making the scabbard based on research done there and shared by a former formite known here as Migueldiaz. I also took off the nickel plating that later coated the blade. |
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Here is an example from my collection.
Best, Robert |
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Best, Robert |
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Looking at the working samples, I can't help but compare them to what's currently being produced today in the same blade hotspots in Panay Island. These old samples seem sturdier and better-looking than their modern counterparts. I'm guessing these three are built like tanks, since their spine would be thick. I'm glad you appreciate these weapons sir, especially the ones that are now deemed as extinct (there is currently no known traditional smith who can make Iloilo talibong; the ones that are still being propagated are from Libacao, Aklan- the talibongs there are distinct because of their J-shaped scabbards and long-nosed, large-eyed figural hilts, like what Battara posted). Hopefully more of these antique pieces emerge in order to provide a benchmark for the unsurpassed quality of Philippine bladed weapons in a bygone age, and hopefully serve as guideposts or inspiration for the current generation of traditional smiths. |
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