Why and What We Collect--A Tale of Two Barung

[Ian]

Tim Simmons touched on something a short while back when discussing a newly acquired Native American stone axe. He got me thinking about why and what we collect in terms of weapons and related items. Many of us collect a diverse range of things but we usually have a particular philosophy about what we collect: old versus recently made; everyday weapons versus ceremonial/decorative pieces; a particular people or culture; historically important pieces; and so on.

To start some discussion on this, I noticed that two fairly ordinary Moro barung finished on our favorite online auction site over the weekend. This is a well-described weapon and everyday tool mostly used by Moros of the Sulu Archipelago, and many who visit this site are familiar with it even if their main interests lie elsewhere. I have posted a few of the sellers’ pictures for each item below.

Item A is an older styled barung, in the manner of those made in the late 18th and 19th C. It has the typical leaf-shaped blade, a simple kakatua hilt gracefully carved, and a plain silver punto. The blade has not been etched, but almost certainly it is laminated. This sword is accompanied by a typical older style scabbard, which is flat on both sides and has a small amount of carving to the throat and toe. One “wing” of the throat has broken off.

In short, it is a late 18th or early 19th C Moro barung.

ITEM A







Item B is a later version of a Moro barung from the same general area. The blade is a little longer and narrower, the kakatua is more elaborately ornamented and has a “crest” sprouting from the back of the hilt, and a silver punto with several bands of plaited material overlying the grip. The beak of the kakatua shows some significant chipping and the wooden hilt shows several cracks. The blade has been etched and is laminated. The sheath has a central ridge running down the front of the scabbard and is almost entirely wrapped with thin rattan; the throat and toe of the scabbard are quite ornately carved with okir designs and may once have been filled with lime.

The overall appearance of this barung and its scabbard would suggest that it was made post WWII (see, for example, R. Cato, Moro Swords, Graham Brash: Singapore, 1996, pp. 43-44)

ITEM B







Which brings me to the point of this post. If you were to collect barung, which of these would you purchase and which one do you believe to be more valuable? Some points to consider here are the respective ages of the two pieces, the general condition of each piece, eye appeal and the degree/quality of ornamentation. With respect to the quality of the materials (steel, wood, etc.), these appear roughly the same for each.

Would you be surprised if I told you that Item B sold for 55% more than the cost of Item A?

So, just what do you value in collecting arms?

Ian