More Moro(?) spears....

CharlesS · 25th March 2012, 01:02 AM

I was able to pick these up last weekend at the Baltimore show and both were in horrendous condition when I got them, so I have enjoyed working on them on and off this week, and here are the results. I really wish i had done these as "before and after" pics, just so you could see how much work went into them!

I presume the larger one is Moro for sure....It is about 8ft. overall, with a blade of 19in., so it is massive! The blade has a patten welded core that was evident even its original state.

The second one is presumely Moro as well, but MUCH less sure. The spear is about 7ft. overall, and blade is leaf shaped and 13in. long, with a chieselled out panel in the middle. The curious thing is the banded ferrule of some white metal alloy. Please note the figures in each panel, all different in each panel, but two are more recognisable figures. Both figures appear to have Japanese/Chinese motifs and characteristics to me...one, looks like a lady in robes, the other, a dragon(?).

This strikes me as very odd for a Moro spear. I know the Moros were not Muslim purists, and that there were other influences in their form of Islam, but these figures seems strange by any Filipino standard, much less the Moro, who via Islam, should not have looked affectionately at figures in art, and certainly not human figures, and even less likely, women!

I am anxious to hear feedback and comments on this one in particular.

I feel certain these are all from Moroland as they were with a 'veteran' lot of 6 spears, five of them no doubt Moro, but this one just didn't quite seem to fit in for the reasons mentioned above.

25th March 2012, 01:02 AM	#1
CharlesS Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Greenville, NC Posts: 1,857	More Moro(?) spears.... I was able to pick these up last weekend at the Baltimore show and both were in horrendous condition when I got them, so I have enjoyed working on them on and off this week, and here are the results. I really wish i had done these as "before and after" pics, just so you could see how much work went into them! I presume the larger one is Moro for sure....It is about 8ft. overall, with a blade of 19in., so it is massive! The blade has a patten welded core that was evident even its original state. The second one is presumely Moro as well, but MUCH less sure. The spear is about 7ft. overall, and blade is leaf shaped and 13in. long, with a chieselled out panel in the middle. The curious thing is the banded ferrule of some white metal alloy. Please note the figures in each panel, all different in each panel, but two are more recognisable figures. Both figures appear to have Japanese/Chinese motifs and characteristics to me...one, looks like a lady in robes, the other, a dragon(?). This strikes me as very odd for a Moro spear. I know the Moros were not Muslim purists, and that there were other influences in their form of Islam, but these figures seems strange by any Filipino standard, much less the Moro, who via Islam, should not have looked affectionately at figures in art, and certainly not human figures, and even less likely, women! I am anxious to hear feedback and comments on this one in particular. I feel certain these are all from Moroland as they were with a 'veteran' lot of 6 spears, five of them no doubt Moro, but this one just didn't quite seem to fit in for the reasons mentioned above. Attached Images Last edited by CharlesS; 25th March 2012 at 02:36 PM.