The Allure of Moro Silver Pommels

[CharlesS]

When I was a little boy I always watched...somewhat dismayed...when, every year my mother brought out her beloved silver, that she rarely used, and tediously polished it all.

I am afraid I have fallen into somewhat the same trap, finding myself having to clean silver once a year, or watching pieces lose their luster.

I have just finished my Moro silver pommels and thought I would post them here simply for comparison sake, and not a study of individual pieces, most of which have been posted here before.

You can't tell it now, but these generally have a very varied silver vs. alloy content, some that tarnish to black, others that don't. You will notice three of the pommels are almost, in fact, are, identical, but with over varied characteristics in the krisses.

While very little study has been done of these hilts and pommels, and much more on their blades, I have a very generalized theory that the silver pommel production among Moro krisses was a relatively short-lived fad, and my guess is that it was a late 19th-early 20th-century phenomenon. They are rarely seen on very early blades, nor or late ones. Comparatively speaking, the pommels are quite fragile and their hollow frames can be easily damaged or crushed. There are a few with solid pommels, including the smallest pommel you see among these.

I believe they are, generally, like much ethnographic weaponry denoting rank, all about the "bling". They offer little else that gives them an advantage over other pommels. I believe they are reserved for mid-level nobility and were not the most valued of Moro pommels, though they make a great first impression.

Enjoy the pics. Again, this will not be a study of individual pieces.