CORDILLERA BOLO

[tanaruz]

Hello friends,

I bought this bolo around 5 years ago. While travelling from Baguio(Benguet) to Sagada(Mountain Province) I stopped on a reastaurant to have some lunch halfway between the two areas (Baguio and Sagada). While taking a breather after a hearty lunch- I chanced to see a local very old guy with this bolo on his waist (along with an antique pendant called ling-ling-o). To go right to the point, I bought the 2 items.

1) some blade traders/artisans from Ifugao say that this is a pinahig. But this does not have the traditional 'puhog' or the navel (see picture for reference) as traditional Ifugao blades must have. The handle/hilt is from a style known as 'inipit' and not the hollow 'nahalung' type.

And yet, some traders/artisans from Ifugao claim it is not a cordilleran bolo. So I say: but this was collected on site from a site located between Baguio and Sagada. If this is not Ifugao, must this be a blade from the Kankanaey tribe of Benguet or Sagada? or perhaps a bolo from the Kalinga?

Appreciate your inputs and keep keep everyone.

Regards

Yves