Items For ID Help

[Robert]

Hello everyone, I just picked up these two interesting pieces and would like to hear your thoughts on them. The larger one has kind of a bangkung look about and is 20 inches in total length with a blade thickness of 1/4 inch at the hilt. The smaller one is 17 inches in total with a 7 inch blade. Unfortunately I do not have any idea about at all about what it is or where it might be from. Any and all help with these would be greatly appreciated. I've added a couple more photos, one of the parangs blade and one of the smaller ones blade.

Best,
Robert

[RhysMichael]

Top one could be a bankoeng but to me it has a bit of a Philippine look I could be wrong. Is the blade sharpened from one side only ( chisel ground) or from both ?
Tirri's book, Islamic Weapons Maghrib to Moghul page 424 has a weapon very similar to the top one and he calls it a Badik from Savu or Timor ( fig 301) but I question that attribution. The first weapon in his picture does look like a badik and the second may have been an editorial mistake leaving it in. Others here will know better

And the bottom to me looks like it may be a Cayul

[kai]

Hello Robert,

Not a Moro bangkung for sure; looks very much like a Visayan "bolo" with the common knob pommel type to me...

Regards,
Kai

[RhysMichael]

Originally Posted by kai

Hello Robert,

Not a Moro bangkung for sure; looks very much like a Visayan "bolo" with the common knob pommel type to me...

Regards,
Kai

that's what I was leaning toward Kai the knob pommel, large ferrule and what seems to be a chisel grind blade.

[Robert]

RhysMichael and Kai, Yes the blade is chisel ground and as you both state it does have a very traditional style of Visayan hilt. The blade shape is what I find unusual as it has more of a bangkung or parang look instead of what you would expect to see on a Visayan bolo.

RhysMichael, you say that the smaller one might be a cayul as I cannot seem to find any reference to that name could you please elaborate? Thank you both for your help on these items.

Best,
Robert

[Robert]

RhysMichael, I finally found a reference to a cayul in Albert's "Traditional Weapons Of The Indonesian Archipelago" on page 39. The description does fit this odd looking piece but there is only a drawing of one example with no photo. The description reads " Cayul Java A machete, used as an agricultural tool. The cayul has a short, broad blade with a convex sharp side and a slightly concave back. Its point is rounded, its hilt quite long." Does anyone happen to have a photo of one of these items that has been identified that they could post for comparison?

Best,
Robert

[RhysMichael]

That is the only reference I know of for it. I do not have any photos but will look for some. It definitely looks like a farming implement to me

[Robert]

Yes, I totally agree that this is a farming implement. I am just trying to get a positive ID on this piece as I have never seen one like it. Thank you for your help and hopefully more photos can be found.

Best,
Robert

[Robert]

These two items showed up today and the blades on both are in very good condition. The finely laminated blade on the Visayan piece (other than a few small chips in the cutting edge) seems to have possibly been re-hilted at some point as it seems much to well made for such a crude hilt. I will post more photos after I have had a chance to give it a light cleaning and possibly an etch.

The cayul has a rather bad split in the hilt but other than that is in fair condition. The way the blade it secured into the hilt is a bit different from what I normally see. It uses a steel collar that fits around the tang and is then driven into the hilt to form a tight fit. I have only seen this style of attachment on one other piece, a Philippine bolo. I will also post better photos of the blade attachment of both the cayul and the bolo later but for the meantime here is on of the auction photos.

Best,
Robert