Frontier cuirass c. 1720 believed Pueblo Indian in Spanish Style

[Jim McDougall]

I need help with this from those of you specializing in Filipino armor, as there are proponents who claim this is from the Philippines. These individuals offer no examples or proof, and as far as I have found, Filipino armor forms are from pre-Spanish contact Muslim coats of mail (I cannot recall term).

The Filipino examples I have seen are of mail connecting plates of bone or leather in panels much like brigandine.

This frontier example is interestingly of CUIR BOULLI which is boiled rawhide which is molded into shape, dried and hardened.
This is contrary to the typical cuera (leather jackets) of the Spanish frontiers which were long jackets made of multi layered hides, obviously for protection from arrows.

I would really appreciate help on this and to know if there are any examples or evidence of Filipino use of cuir bouilli or this type of design in body armor.

[Jim McDougall]

The frontier armor I am researching is believed to be Pueblo tribe, allied with Spanish c.1680-1720 made in cuir boulli, which is of boiled bull hide, dried, shaped and hardened. ...the breast plate and back secured by lashings.
The skirted tassets are of rawhide and as with the entire assembly based on Spanish type armor of previous century.

The use of antiquated and obsolete equipage in the New World was of course typical as the expeditions from the time of the conquistadors were comprised of mostly private individuals, not militarily supplied forces.

This particular element of armor appears to be unique as it is of cuir boulli rather than the heavily layered hides used to construct the more ubiquitous leather jackets (cuera) used throughout the Spanish colonies in the frontiers.

There have been unsubstantiated claims claiming this is from the Philippines, which as far as I can see incorrect, as the armor of the Moros is of entirely different construction, based apparently on the Islamic armor from trade and contact from India and Arab traders long before Spanish arrival in 16th c.
These armors open from front and are of plates connected by mail (typically brass in the Filipino examples).

The only instances of leather use seem to be of lacquered form (not cuir boulli) and probably water buffalo (carabou) as the horns of these animals are typically used for the plates of the armor.

I would very much appreciate the opinions and comments of those of you out there who have expertise in these areas of collecting.

[Ian]

Jim,

I have only a passing understanding of Moro armour in the Philippines. While I see some commonalities with the boiled leather form you show, it does not resemble the construction of Moro armour that I have seen and you have described here.

Regards, Ian.

[Battara]

The Moros did make leather armour. I'll look through my records to see if I have a picture.

[Battara]

Here is one picture I have of Mabagani's leather suit of Moro armour.

[Jim McDougall]

Thank you so much guys! This is very important.
I have browsed through everything I can find online, but absolutely nothing I can find comes close to this unusual example. It has a long history in the American Southwest, but was only rediscovered in recent years in an obscure estate sale, and has since been both on display in several venues as well as enduring notable controversies.

As there is not a single example of comparable armor anywhere of this material and from the Spanish frontiers of the 17th into 18th c. it is not possible to evaluate on this basis. The Philippine suggestion I take as rather a 'drawing at straws' solution which has yet to offer any supported evidence.

The most important comparison, virtually the only one, is depictions of Spanish soldiers and Pueblo allies in an obscure event in 1720 in Nebraska (the Villasur expedition) where they were massacred by Pawnee and Oto warriors under French forces. These type cuirasses with skirted rawhide in place of tassets are seen in the Indian produced hide painting. There are numerous details in these iconic works which were unknown in America until the 1980s when they were brought back from their holding in Lucerne, Switzerland since 1750s.
This is why this form of cuirass in cuir boulli has remained unknown, as the first notable reference to Spanish colonial arms and armor I am aware of is Curtis (1927). Obviously the well known cuera jackets (sewn hides) are described in various sources since, but this rare form has never been noted.There are few references on these topics, so this is most important.

[Jim McDougall]

Amazing, do we have more detail on this? period etc.
What type of leather?

[Rick]

Possibly a comparison of the chest plate and pueblo designs might be in order here.
Or has that already been done?

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Rick

Possibly a comparison of the chest plate and pueblo designs might be in order here.
Or has that already been done?

Thank you Rick. Actually thanks to Jose showing that particular armor, which does of course appear to be leather, I cannot make out construction features nor material used(what type of leather) .

The frontier example is made using the cuir bouilli process ,which is boiling raw hide, drying, and shaping.
This is contrary to leather which is tanned and supple but not in solid hard product as cuir boulli.

I have references which indicate the Pueblos allied to Spaniards were instructed by the then governor of Santa Fe to make boiled hide armor for their planned attack to retake Santa Fe in 1681. The Pueblo uprisings in 1680 had caused the Spanish to flee the city as many tribes had formed a coalition against them.

What is important here is design features, and it is noted that the triangular fixture on the Moro armor is compellingly similar to the frontier example.
Also the triangular elements along the waist demarcation are similar.
I am thinking this brings a strong possibiity that the Pueblo design may have diffused to the Philippines via the Spanish presence there in later years.

I am under the impression that the Moro examples of armor known come from later periods than the frontier example, from mid to late 19th c.
The influence of the espasda ancha for example occurs in numbers of Philippine bolos of these later periods, while the espada ancha was of course from mid 18th into mid 19th c.

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Battara

Here is one picture I have of Mabagani's leather suit of Moro armour.

This is wonderful!! Can we find detail on this armor? I presume it is 1800s. Is there a way to reach the owner of this? Was there a tradition of using cuir boulli (boiled hide) in the Philippines, or was it leather coated with lacquer?

It would seen that leather use in the tropical climate would be less than durable.

[Ian]

Jose, thanks for that picture. I don't recall seeing it before.

Jim, the links between the Americas and the Philippines were very strong during the Spanish Colonial period. Many of the Spanish Governors of the Philippines came from Mexico, so a direct connection between the Spanish Colonial administrations involving the Pueblo Indians and the Philippines should be fairly easy to establish. I have not looked into this, but my sources were Filipino academics when I was working in the Philippines during the late 1990s-early 2000s.

Regards, Ian

[Battara]

I'm quite sure that this is not soft leather but carabao hide, probably dried hard not supple.

Mabagani was a member here long ago, but his behavior and others during the Macao Museum of Art exhibit got him and the others banned. So no, he ditched me as well personally since I was the only one of the original people involved to be asked back to the exhibit work.

[Jim McDougall]

Thank you so much Jose,
What is important here is this example shown is completely unlike any other Moro armor I can find anywhere. All other examples and designs are front opening reflecting the Islamic influenced forms of mail armor on which they were based long before the Spaniards arrived.

Since this is likely of the same likely 19th century vintage as it seems most Moro armor in the references I have found, this design which is entirely enclosed without mail does resemble the example I posted. Since my example is from c. 1720s, it would appear that Spanish designs from the Southwest must have diffused into the Philippines, perhaps via the 'Manila galleons'?

The frontier example is of cuir boulli, that is two ply boiled bull hide, dried, shaped and hardened. I am curious whether this process was ever used in the Philippine archipelagos. It would seem these types of leather or rawhide would not be very durable in wet, tropical climates.

I am wondering if any other examples of Moro armor are like this one, in one unit without mail, skirted etc. and in hide as noted.

[Battara]

Spanish armor of the 17c and after was skirted. However, some Indonesian armor is similar in style. Either it is influenced by the Portuguese and/or by way of India.

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Ian

Jose, thanks for that picture. I don't recall seeing it before.

Jim, the links between the Americas and the Philippines were very strong during the Spanish Colonial period. Many of the Spanish Governors of the Philippines came from Mexico, so a direct connection between the Spanish Colonial administrations involving the Pueblo Indians and the Philippines should be fairly easy to establish. I have not looked into this, but my sources were Filipino academics when I was working in the Philippines during the late 1990s-early 2000s.

Regards, Ian

Thank you Ian, good points about the connections between Spanish colonial and Philippine administrations, and there was certain networking from Santa Fe where Pueblos were situated. While I have learned a lot about Spanish colonial, I unfortunately know very little on the Philippines and Moros.

[Rick]

Originally Posted by Battara

Spanish armor of the 17c and after was skirted. However, some Indonesian armor is similar in style. Either it is influenced by the Portuguese and/or by way of India.

The triangular breast plate pattern on the Pueblo example looks a lot like okir.

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Rick

The triangular breast plate pattern on the Pueblo example looks a lot like okir.

Rick what is okir?

[Jim McDougall]

The leather cuirass Pueblo in Spanish style

detail from Segesser II hide painting , Santa Fe New Mexico depicting Villasur battle , near Platte & Loup rivers Nebraska 1720.
Pueblo artist unknown
Baroque art features in decoration
Note throat and neck fixtures
Cuir Boulli bull hide 2 ply

[Jim McDougall]

I see what is meant by okir, and that is of course a remarkably similar type of ornamentation.
What it as hand here is that the cuirass in question is of far earlier age than most Moro examples typically discussed. While I have just shown the image excerpt from the Segesser II artwork, the type of armor worn by the Pueblo warrior depicted is of the length nearly to knees.
It appears open at the side as with these cuirasses, they were fastened together.
Typical buckskin cueras were more of a jacket, open in front.

It must be recalled this was in the period 1690-1720, and the artwork depicting this battle was completed shortly after the 1720 event. By 1758 the art was sent to Switzerland where it remained unknown to history until 1951.
These ornamental devices are seen in the bordering of the artwork, suggesting the baroque style with these kinds of elements was in use in Santa Fe, N.M. at this time.

Despite the similarities to the 'okir' in the Philippines pertaining to decoration, I am wondering if the Spanish influences transported there over the years might have brought the creation of this type of cuirass sometime in the 19th c. as per most Moro armor is of mail and plate.

Are there examples of Moro armor from earlier than 19th c known to survive?

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Ian

Jim,

I have only a passing understanding of Moro armour in the Philippines. While I see some commonalities with the boiled leather form you show, it does not resemble the construction of Moro armour that I have seen and you have described here.

Regards, Ian.

Thank you Ian. This armor came out of an auction sometime in 1957 in California and was grouped with other Spanish colonial items including a morion. It was acquired by a renowned Arizona antiquarian named Gil Procter who operated a small museum previously held by Pete Kitchen, another legendary figure in Arizona history from the 1870s.
The cuirass was in this time on display from 1958 until Procters death in the 1960s. From here it with many other items it went into storage and obscurity until ultimately ending up in an estate sale over 20 years ago.
It was then acquired by an Arizona dealer and appraiser who is well known in American Indian and Spanish colonial arts and cultural items.

At no point in the entire time of this example has it ever been described as anything other than a very old Spanish leather cuirass, which were known to be in use in the Spanish southwest from end of 17th century into early 18th.

The difference in this type of armor from the regularly known type of leather armor is that this is of cuir boulli, a hardened rawhide of ox. The other more ubiquitous type is of buckskin, often deerhide, which is tanned and treated leather, in layers sewn together into a jacket (cuera) which was long and open in front.

In these times metal cuirasses were hard to come by in these remote frontier regions, and mail was also hard to maintain. The problem with these forms of armor was also they were not durable in the heat and climate, heavy and with mail, it did not protect well against arrows. In most cases, especially if mail had become compromised with rust or corrosion arrows could easily penetrate and worse, carry contaminated metal shards into the wounds.

In the cuir boulli cuirass shown here, there is question on the decorative elements and motif, indicating it resembles OKIR, which is a complex Philippine motif typically vegetal in character.

Here what I would point out is that in this period in New Spain in late 17th century, European art styles in baroque manner were well established with Indian artists, such as the Pueblo, who produced artwork which often combined their own styles with the baroque type decoration. This is the case with this armor which is believed to be represented in a painting of the massacre of the Spanish and Pueblo expedition from Santa Fe into Nebraska in 1720. This work is on buffalo hides and atypical of most Pueblo paintings typically produced in Santa Fe, which were more commonly ecclesiastic and Catholic oriented of course. Baroque art was a theme developed by Catholic Faith in early 17th century which held into mid 18th, and even longer in Spanish contexts.

As far as I have discovered, the construction of this rawhide cuirass is not consistent with any of the scale and mail armor assemblies of the Moro in the Philippines which are typically 19th c. and of carabou (water buffalo) and brass links. The presumably okir style decoration on them seems characteristically placed on the scales in brass cutout elements.

In this armor the decoration, in stylized baroque floral figures, is cut into the rawhide apparently after the hardening process.
In the construction of this armor, it is open at the side, where it was lashed together. Note the projections at the neck both front and back which were to prevent knife cuts, these not present of course on Moro armors.

Illustrated are okir style motifs left and baroque right

The cuirass, and the Pueblo painting of c. 1726 showing a Pueblo warrior wearing what appears to be this type armor, and what seems to be a representation of what Holz ("The Segesser Hide Paintings", 1970, Gottfried Holz). terms 'insignia'. This reference occurs pertaining to many of the over 46 other warriors in these paintings (Segesser II) with similar type armor.

The Mabagani armor shown in post #5 in my opinion does show tenuous similarity to elements of the discussed cuirass, but these may likely be to exposure to these types of earlier Spanish style armor sometime in the centuries the Spaniards were in the Philippines. While the Moros did not copy Spanish style armors typically, there seems to be an equal degree of copying of Spanish helmets, with a vestigial degree of elements such as the 'comb' on the morions ....but overall the Moro versions resemble burgonets.

[Jim McDougall]

I have a posting on the ethnographic forum which is titled 'Frontier Cuirass c.1720' as it has been held to be a Spanish leather (cuir boulli) cuirass for the past 70+ years.
An as yet unfounded claim made by an anonymous detractor has been made that it is Moro (Philippine) in origin based presumably on the resemblance in the decorative motif to okir. There appears to be an example which seems to be an anomaly of Moro rawhide armor (Mabagani) which has elements compellingly similar to those on this armor which appears to be 19th c as most other Moro armor regularly seen.

I wanted to post this here to reach those of you with expertise in these areas and hope that posted here it would be more visible.

I would very much knowing if anyone has seen Moro or other leather armor of this style construction or with such decorative motif.

Thanks very much.
Jim

[David]

Wrong forum for this Jim. I'm moving it to Ethno.

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by David

Wrong forum for this Jim. I'm moving it to Ethno.

Thank you David, maybe with title specifying Moro someone with knowledge on these armors might come in here.

[Ian]

David, Jim already has a post on this subject in the Ethno Forum, so I'll combine the two just so we don't miss any important comments.

Ian.

[Jim McDougall]

This topic has become quite a learning experience for me, as though I have never been much involved in the arms and armor of these regions in the Philippine archipelago and Malaysian, Indonesian etc. I have always admired the posts, discussions of the complexities of the culture and weaponry, as well as the incredible expertise of members here in these fields.

What I have discovered is that there is apparently little knowledge or interest overall in the associated arms items such as the armor or helmets specifically. In searching through archives there are one of two incidental mentions, but seems these refer to late 19th, early 20th century and not of particular interest.
The actual period armors seem 19th century, almost invariably of plates and mail (brass) and can run into high values.

While I am very grateful for the hints and suggestions added here, I am surprised at the fact that so little information exists on the subject of these armors.

In my query my goal was to dispel the wildly placed rebuke by a thus far anonymous party that this rawhide (cuir boulli) armor of Spanish colonial association (Pueblo Indian, c. 1700, Santa Fe N.M.) is in fact Filipino (Moro).

As there seemed little interest (despite over 10,000 views in a week) in response, I thought perhaps the title was not piquing interest, as Spanish colonial topics tend not to draw much attention. Then thinking perhaps if I used the Moro term, and posted it on the keris forum where the interest in these areas is of course prevalent. That of course did not work out.

Sardonically, I began to think, if I had posted this as an extremely rare Moro armor, perhaps there would be a notable rebuttal against such a notion!

As it stands, the only references to Filipino armor I have found in it seems endless searches online and in our archives have only found mostly Moro examples, invariably 19th c. though other classifications such as Bagobo, Bugis etc. seem represented. The ONLY example of rawhide is the one shown by Jose, which belonged to Mabagani (who has long been gone from here, so no particulars are available).
Here I thank Jose again for that valuable example, and Rick and Ian for your insights on the elements and okir decoration, which are compelling.

The fact remains, my example is over 300 years old and of cuir boulli oxhide, the decoration seems to correspond with baroque style decoration carved into the leather. The style is taken from much earlier Spanish brigandine armor and tasseted cuirass' .
The pages showing similar from "Arms and Armor of the Conquistador 1492-1600), Walter Karcheski Jr.., Higgins Armory, 1990, p.3-4. Note the tassets seem to have been attached to the hip at bottom of cuirass. This was apparently Italian as was notable volume of arms and armor used by Spanish forces and expeditionaries.

Added are 'okir' decoration from Moro arms, and there does seem a notable similarity, however in my armor example the elements of decoration are also notable like various Pueblo symbols used in decoration of their material culture. It seems that Indian artist(s) who painted the Segesser paintings (c1726)depicting the stylized armor worn in the tragic battle of 1720 saw fit to specifically include the detail of the device (insignia?) on the tassets of the subject example. Naturally they are not exact, however these types of artworks often carry certain key details, while other detail might be foregone. That is why the inclusion of these devices in the armor seems to indicate a symbolic importance to the Pueblo that exceeded other overall details not included such as the triangular breastplate element and defined tasseting.

[Jim McDougall]

Impasse

[Ian]

Hi Jim,

Maybe not a total impasse. With regard to leather on Moro weapons or armor, this would have been from local water buffalo. I very much doubt that the Pueblo tribes in America had access to water buffalo for leather. If you can establish what type of leather your example is, then you may have a simple way of confirming or disproving its origin vis-a-vis Moro armor.

You mention ox in your latest post. I don't think ox exist in the Philippines. Are they found in the SW arid regions of what is today the USA? Imported by Spaniards perhaps?

Regards,

Ian.

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Ian

Hi Jim,

Maybe not a total impasse. With regard to leather on Moro weapons or armor, this would have been from local water buffalo. I very much doubt that the Pueblo tribes in America had access to water buffalo for leather. If you can establish what type of leather your example is, then you may have a simple way of confirming or disproving its origin vis-a-vis Moro armor.

You mention ox in your latest post. I don't think ox exist in the Philippines. Are they found in the SW arid regions of what is today the USA? Imported by Spaniards perhaps?

Regards,

Ian.

Thank you so much Ian! Actually that is the very point which has become clouded in this dilemma.

This cuirass I began researching in 2009 for individuals in Arizona and New Mexico during a search for a Spanish colonial leather jacket (cuera) which were made from layers of buckskin, often deer, sewn together.

After some time I was both stunned and dismayed that NONE were to be found, anywhere! Eventually ONE turned up at the Smithsonian (in storage) and later another in Madrid (in storage). While countless items from Spanish colonial contexts have circulated for centuries, these apparently have not survived.

This RARE example turned up in Tucson with a dealer who acquired it (with other Spanish items, morion etc.) out of an obscure estate sale.
This was always referred to as an old Spanish leather cuirass, but what is remarkable is that it is actually BOILED OX HIDE, which is hardened rawhide not leather which is processed differently. This is at least what I have understood from these dealers in Indian and old Spanish antiquities.

I found records of a Spanish governor during the Pueblo rebellion in Santa Fe (1680-1696) who near what is now El Paso was planning his attack to retake the city in late 1680 was preparing his forces. These included loyal Pueblo allies, and needed armor, his specifically ordered making this 'in the old way with boiled ox hide' (Curtis, 1927).

This style cuirass was apparently copied from Spanish doublets and brigandines which had of course been well known as previously described.
This style of armor is not known in the realm of Spanish colonial armor because it seems to have been exclusive to Santa Fe and to the Pueblo allies who made it at Spanish direction. It seems that it is represented only in the esoteric hide paintings (on buffalo hide) by Indian artists in Santa Fe depicting a battle in 1720.
These paintings went to Switzerland c. 1758 to the family of a Jesuit priest and were not seen in America until 1988.
It was these two art dealers I am working with astutely recognized the character of the armor, as well as the similarity of the devices (insignia?) seen occasionally on the armor in the painting, which resembled the border decoration on the hides. These devices are seen in kind on the example of cuir boulli armor they hold.

It seems that recently, an apparently anonymous detractor has claimed this leathern armor is Filipino (I only have this second hand) without the benefit of contrary evidence. In a manner familiar in these times, someone can be accused without evidence apparently, much as in this case, where my 16 years of research is contested without alternate proof, just contrary claims.

This is why I have appealed to those here who know Filipino cultural character and I presumed the armors as well, to prove this is NOT Filipino.
The only Filipino armors I have seen represented are 19th century, and as you note, of water buffalo (carabou) typically plates, connected by brass mail.

Their construction as far as seen is not like this example and obviously not over three hundred years old. When found in the auction some years ago, the armor was dried out and collapsed after decades in storage, and was painstakingly restored by these antiquarian dealers.

The idea for radiocentric analysis has been suggested for the material to establish date, type of hide and processing method...however valuable items are often not favorable to these procedures, mostly costs.
The very character of the armor externally is in stark contrast to the more typical layered leathers used more ubiquitously in these times.

Metal armor was hot, heavy, and not often readily available over time in these remote colonial circumstances, and mail was virtually useless against arrows which would penetrate by opening the rings. This was worse in wounding as the mail itself became shrapnel carried into the wound.
Even layered hide was only nominally effective which is why these armors were oftren up to as many as 13 layers.
Obviously this was prohibitive in the movement of the wearer.

This ox hide is two ply, but molded and hardened.

Again, my objective is to prove this centuries old cuirass in Spanish form by Pueblo artisans is NOT Filipino.

Thank you Ian as always for your courtesy and giving me the opportunity to present again my case, and for kindly sensing my frustration

[Battara]

My limited knowledge of Hopi culture, religion, and warfare has not shown any usage of armour like this in the old days. Again, though I could be proven wrong.

That being said, I recently saw a Hopi kilt made of leather sold at auction.

[Ian]

Jim, I have searched further online concerning the presence of oxen in the Philippines. There are no native oxen found there, although a somewhat similar animal is found on the island of Mindoro (in the Tagalog region) and not at all in Mindanao or the Sulu Archipelago.

If your example is, indeed, made from ox hide then it is almost certainly not from the Philippines (unless imported there by Spain).

Personally, I think the evidence that you present here is very persuasive that the item in question is not Filipino in origin. IMHO, the burden of proof for a contrary view should rest with the anonymous detractor.

There is little doubt that the origin of your piece and the Moro examples have a common model in older versions of Spanish armor, but that seems to be the extent of the commonality.

With regard to expertise in Moro armor, the problem is that there are very few examples. There are likely several pieces in the Smithsonian, which I believe holds some of the items collected by Pershing during his Moro campaigns. You mention a Spanish Museum, but there are several that have holdings of Moro weapons and they have been discussed on these pages a few times—not only national museums but also military museums. Part of the problem that I have with museums is that there inventory record keeping is not very good. Even curators have incomplete knowledge of what they hold. For perishable items, such as those made from leather, inventory may have been lost and there is no longer any record of it havng been collected.

I'm sure you have encountered these difficulties. While it is always good to nail down an item conclusively, I think you have done darn well to get this far. As for the detractor, ask him to show his evidence or shut up!