Panabas

Robert · 28th July 2011, 06:11 PM

My new birthday panabas. Very heavy blade that is over 1/2 inch thick at the hilt. The hilt has a heavy cast brass collar and two cracks in it probably from shrinkage (one on top of the hilt and the other on the bottom) but the piece is still very stable. The wood of the hilt for some reason looks a lot lighter in the pictures than it actually is, probably the lighting. This is a heavy piece weighting in at 4 lbs 6 ounces. What I would really like to know is if a panabas like this would have been used mainly as a weapon or as a tool. Thank you in advance for any comments on this piece that anyone would like to make.

Robert

Battara · 29th July 2011, 12:20 AM

With brass like that I would say a weapon for beheading, psychologically and symbolically representing the power and authority of the datu.

tom hyle · 29th July 2011, 02:13 AM

note the similarity to your barong in both the flared blade base and the octagonal handle cross section.

Robert · 29th July 2011, 05:50 AM

Quote:

With brass like that I would say a weapon for beheading, psychologically and symbolically representing the power and authority of the datu.

Thank you Jose, I thought that with the overall quality that it could possibly be a lower grade status piece. As usual, do you have an idea of age of this ?

Battara · 29th July 2011, 05:53 AM

Hard to place on this - around the turn of the 20c?

28th July 2011, 06:11 PM	#1
Robert EAAF Staff Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Centerville, Kansas Posts: 2,196	Panabas My new birthday panabas. Very heavy blade that is over 1/2 inch thick at the hilt. The hilt has a heavy cast brass collar and two cracks in it probably from shrinkage (one on top of the hilt and the other on the bottom) but the piece is still very stable. The wood of the hilt for some reason looks a lot lighter in the pictures than it actually is, probably the lighting. This is a heavy piece weighting in at 4 lbs 6 ounces. What I would really like to know is if a panabas like this would have been used mainly as a weapon or as a tool. Thank you in advance for any comments on this piece that anyone would like to make. Robert Attached Images Last edited by Robert Coleman; 28th July 2011 at 06:57 PM.

29th July 2011, 12:20 AM	#2
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,221	With brass like that I would say a weapon for beheading, psychologically and symbolically representing the power and authority of the datu.

29th July 2011, 02:13 AM	#3
tom hyle Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Houston, TX, USA Posts: 1,254	note the similarity to your barong in both the flared blade base and the octagonal handle cross section.

29th July 2011, 05:53 AM	#5
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,221	Hard to place on this - around the turn of the 20c?