I agree with Jose. This seems to be a Sulu style of kris, but I would have a small bet it is Maranao made. The okir work looks very much like the contemporary kris of similar style coming frm two brothers in the Lake Lanao region. The quality of their ornamentation is very high, but the blades are poor quality.
I would check the provenance of this one
very carefully. It could well be less than 20 years old. This particular type of small kris is being reproduced very well and could easily deceive a buyer into thinking they have acquired an antique "Sultan's kris" (which is often how they are described).
These contemporary kris will appear more frequently outside the Philippines, as they diffuse into more Western markets.
Caveat emptor.
Does anyone else think the hilt on this one looks a little Balinese?
Ian.
Edit: An after thought about the blades on the recently produced Maranao "Sultan's" kris. They are usually etched with acid to give a "watered" appearance and are usually not a laminated construction -- the blade pictured above has the rather mottled appearance of an etched rather than a laminated pattern, but it's hard to tell from pictures. They also usually have an engraved line rather than a truly separate gangya.
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Originally Posted by Battara
It is Moro alright, and the metal work is okir with gold and silver. I think though it is Sulu and later than WWII. Nice work for recent material. Might be made for a recent wealthy datu (chieftain).
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