BARUNG TAUSUG?

tanaruz · 17th August 2020, 10:33 AM

Hi friends,

Sharing this lovely barung from my father's collection.

Tausug?

OAL: 25.25 inches/ blade: 18.5 inches

WW2 era? seller claims it to be late 19th-early 20th century.

Enjoy!

Yves

Ian · 17th August 2020, 02:38 PM

The scabbard has some nice MOP carving on it. That's very fine work!

I would say the scabbard is from the 1950s and the barung from WWII era. Not 19th C IMHO.

tanaruz · 17th August 2020, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ian

The scabbard has some nice MOP carving on it. That's very fine work!

I would say the scabbard is from the 1950s and the barung from WWII era. Not 19th C IMHO.

Hello Sir Ian,

Thanks for the info.

Am I right to say it is of Tausug origin?

Regards,

Yves

Ian · 18th August 2020, 02:30 AM

Yves, I think it is a Sulu barung, most likely Tausug.

Battara · 18th August 2020, 03:08 AM

I do LOVE that pierced MOP shell work!

xasterix · 18th August 2020, 05:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tanaruz

Hi friends,

Sharing this lovely barung from my father's collection.

Tausug?

OAL: 25.25 inches/ blade: 18.5 inches

WW2 era? seller claims it to be late 19th-early 20th century.

Enjoy!

Yves

Hi,

All features point to another tribe

It's not a Tausug barung. Blade is younger than WW2, probably 80s onwards. I've held very similar and provenanced samples that are from the 80s and 90s.

Sajen · 18th August 2020, 08:17 PM

I guess that the scabbard is much younger as the barung. Yves, is the ferrule from silver?
Xas, look to the pommel, it has an age crack and in this form and patination I would say that the sword is much older as end of 20th century.

Regards,
Detlef

Battara · 19th August 2020, 01:26 AM

As I look at this again, I find the blade profile is strange and not traditional, unless this is a trick of the camera angle.............

Ian · 19th August 2020, 01:43 AM

I thought it was the angle of the picture that made the blade look a little odd. Buy Xasterix may be right, that this is not Sulu. Yves, can you give us a picture taken directly over the blade?

xasterix · 19th August 2020, 09:14 AM

Here's a similar sample with 80s provenance; it's already been halfway restored, it came from a lot of rust and dirt. As you can see, if I tilt the camera angle a little, it directly resembles the OP's blade profile. Even the broken 'beak' is consistent here; the textile is just a different pattern. MOP is also present in this 80s sample, just of a different style.

Detlef, I believe that particular blade profile did not exist before the 1970s. The break at the pommel of the OP's barung may not necessarily be due to age; bunti can crack when improperly handled either during pommel creation or handling (especially with a crack as large as that one). So far the age cracks I've encountered on pre-1900 bunti aren't as large yet as to allow the insertion of a coin.

17th August 2020, 10:33 AM	#1
tanaruz Member Join Date: Apr 2020 Posts: 267	BARUNG TAUSUG? Hi friends, Sharing this lovely barung from my father's collection. Tausug? OAL: 25.25 inches/ blade: 18.5 inches WW2 era? seller claims it to be late 19th-early 20th century. Enjoy! Yves Attached Images Last edited by tanaruz; 17th August 2020 at 10:34 AM. Reason: named wrong

19th August 2020, 09:14 AM	#10
xasterix Member Join Date: Oct 2018 Posts: 653	Here's a similar sample with 80s provenance; it's already been halfway restored, it came from a lot of rust and dirt. As you can see, if I tilt the camera angle a little, it directly resembles the OP's blade profile. Even the broken 'beak' is consistent here; the textile is just a different pattern. MOP is also present in this 80s sample, just of a different style. Detlef, I believe that particular blade profile did not exist before the 1970s. The break at the pommel of the OP's barung may not necessarily be due to age; bunti can crack when improperly handled either during pommel creation or handling (especially with a crack as large as that one). So far the age cracks I've encountered on pre-1900 bunti aren't as large yet as to allow the insertion of a coin. Attached Images

17th August 2020, 02:38 PM	#2
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,197	The scabbard has some nice MOP carving on it. That's very fine work! I would say the scabbard is from the 1950s and the barung from WWII era. Not 19th C IMHO.

18th August 2020, 02:30 AM	#4
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,197	Yves, I think it is a Sulu barung, most likely Tausug.

18th August 2020, 03:08 AM	#5
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,219	I do LOVE that pierced MOP shell work!

18th August 2020, 08:17 PM	#7
Sajen Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Germany, Dortmund Posts: 8,770	I guess that the scabbard is much younger as the barung. Yves, is the ferrule from silver? Xas, look to the pommel, it has an age crack and in this form and patination I would say that the sword is much older as end of 20th century. Regards, Detlef

19th August 2020, 01:26 AM	#8
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,219	As I look at this again, I find the blade profile is strange and not traditional, unless this is a trick of the camera angle.............

19th August 2020, 01:43 AM	#9
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,197	I thought it was the angle of the picture that made the blade look a little odd. Buy Xasterix may be right, that this is not Sulu. Yves, can you give us a picture taken directly over the blade?