UNUSUAL MORO BARONG

VANDOO · 24th May 2016, 06:43 PM

I SAW A SIMILAR BARONG WITH THE GUARD BUILT INTO THE BLADE IN THE MUSEUM IN SABAH MALAYSIAN BORNEO IN 2001. THIS EXAMPLE IS THE SECOND I HAVE SEEN UNFORTUNATELY I DON'T HAVE A PICTURE OF THE OTHER ONE. HAS ANYONE ELSE SEEN THIS FORM BEFORE?

Battara · 24th May 2016, 07:42 PM

Hi Barry, this is a Maranao barong.

Yes I have seen this form before, and the okir is Maranao. This one appears somewhat later to me, like WWII.

How and why the Marano have a barong, I can only guess that it was a later Sulu influence? I have not seen earlier examples of Maranao barong so far.

VANDOO · 2nd June 2016, 08:54 PM

HERE IS ANOTHER UNUSUAL BARONG WITH ENGRAVING ON BOTH SIDES OF THE 17 INCH BLADE. I HAD HOPED TO GIVE IT A NICE OLD IVORY POMMEL I HAVE BUT THE SNIPERS GOT ME AT THE LAST MILLISECOND. IT HAS A LEATHER SHEATH WITH THE SAME PATTERN AS ON THE BLADE. PERHAPS THIS POST CAN SERVE AS A PLACE FOR POSTS ON UNUSUAL BARONGS.

Battara · 3rd June 2016, 04:41 AM

Yeah I noticed this on eprey.

At first it looked like an earlier Sulu blade, but the engraving looks more Visayan to me.

Perhaps a Sulu blade in the hands of a Visayan Filipino? (might explain the leather sheath).

kino · 3rd June 2016, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Battara

Yeah I noticed this on eprey.

At first it looked like an earlier Sulu blade, but the engraving looks more Visayan to me.

Perhaps a Sulu blade in the hands of a Visayan Filipino? (might explain the leather sheath).

I agree that the vegetative engraving to the blade doesn't look Moro.

The leather sheath looks Occidental.

Is that a Chinese chop mark at the base of the engraving?
I like this blade, hard to tell but it looks like it's hollow ground, with a long silver ferrule.
Congrats to the winning bidder.

VANDOO · 3rd June 2016, 05:32 PM

YOU HAVE A GOOD EYE. I HAD NOT NOTICED THE MARK IN THE LAST PICTURE AND IT DOES LOOK LIKE A CHINESE MARK. A GOOD ATTRACTIVE OLDER BARONG THAT HAS AN INTERESTING STORY IF IT COULD ONLY TALK, I HOPE SOMEONE HAS PLANS TO GIVE IT A GOOD RESTORATION.

kahnjar1 · 3rd June 2016, 10:54 PM

The coins also look Chinese to me.......

Gustav · 3rd June 2016, 11:01 PM

They are Japanese.

Kino was referring to the second Barong.

Nirghosa · 5th June 2016, 08:09 PM

I wanted that first barong so bad, but it went super high. I settled for an ivory Kris a few days later for a fraction of that (and then the beak broke in transit dut to poor packing)

CCUAL · 24th July 2018, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VANDOO

YOU HAVE A GOOD EYE. I HAD NOT NOTICED THE MARK IN THE LAST PICTURE AND IT DOES LOOK LIKE A CHINESE MARK. A GOOD ATTRACTIVE OLDER BARONG THAT HAS AN INTERESTING STORY IF IT COULD ONLY TALK, I HOPE SOMEONE HAS PLANS TO GIVE IT A GOOD RESTORATION.

Sorry, it took a while.

I own 7 Chinese? chopped marked Barongs, 6 are mono-steel including this one.

Battara · 24th July 2018, 09:37 PM

This is an unusual barong Christian. But I do like the engraved floral design on the blade, which looks more Visayan to me. I also wonder about the hilt - not typical Tausug style.

CCUAL · 24th July 2018, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Battara

This is an unusual barong Christian. But I do like the engraved floral design on the blade, which looks more Visayan to me. I also wonder about the hilt - not typical Tausug style.

Again Jose, none of us are expert, all we can do is asume, and asume is sometimes d' mo'tha of all .... Where ever that blade is from it look Moro to me. Now, if someone can show me leaf blade shape Visayan, un-modifield, then I will believe you.

The ferrule was from an old beat-up barong that I collected 10 years ago (ebay) and I still have the photo up to now.

The pommel was from a friend's Barong collection it was cracked in several pieces so he sold it to me. Glued sanded and buffed. Now, it looks new but it looks good to me.

kino · 25th July 2018, 01:55 AM

I think Battara meant that the floral design is Visayan, not the blade.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CCUAL

6 are mono-steel including this one.

I find it interesting that the blade is mono steel, perhaps the blade is chrome plated. The color looks somewhat odd, unless it’s just the lighting.
I have a Barong that didn’t exibit a pattern post etch, later to find out that it was chrome plated.

R.I.P. Vandoo

CCUAL · 25th July 2018, 04:18 AM

I find it interesting that the blade is mono steel, perhaps the blade is chrome plated. The color looks somewhat odd, unless it’s just the lighting.
I have a Barong that didn’t exibit a pattern post etch, later to find out that it was chrome plated.[/QUOTE]

No, the blade was not chrome plated. The acid reacts to the blade right away when etched but it just gives a grayish color just like the other five. I had chrome plated blades in the past, headache hand scraping it with sanding paper as it slides through it, same thing when etching it. I had to ship the blades it to a parkerizing shop in Colo. to have the chrome removed.

This Barong blade was lightly cleaned with 1000grt wet/dry soap and water, and then hand buffed with Mothers Aluminum Polisher. I do this to all my blades. If it need etching, I re-wash it with soap and water, alcohol wipe it to remove impurities, heat the blade, and then acid etch. Learned that from DaveS.

Btw, regarding the Visayan floral theory on the blade, I won this beat-up Barong a little over 10 yrs now from e-bay, blade was very thick 11mm it also have that Chinese chop mark easy call 19th C., the ferrule was all floral engraved, that is what I had used on this Barong, so I don't know?

Again, it's been 18 fascinating yrs, thanks to my first teacher RonS, still learning day to day....

Battara · 27th July 2018, 03:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kino

I think Battara meant that the floral design is Visayan, not the blade.

Thank you Albert.

Battara · 27th July 2018, 03:57 AM

Also, some times these "Chinese" marks are not Chinese at all but placed to look like it came from a Chinese smith to raise the value of the blade itself, just like "Andrea Ferrara" on Scottish basket hilt swords.

Since I don't read Chinese, I can't tell if this is truly Chinese script or not. Perhaps one of our members can tell us for sure (and perhaps translate it if Chinese?).

Battara · 27th July 2018, 03:59 AM

BTW - Christian you did a nice job on the restoration.

24th May 2016, 06:43 PM	#1
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	UNUSUAL MORO BARONG I SAW A SIMILAR BARONG WITH THE GUARD BUILT INTO THE BLADE IN THE MUSEUM IN SABAH MALAYSIAN BORNEO IN 2001. THIS EXAMPLE IS THE SECOND I HAVE SEEN UNFORTUNATELY I DON'T HAVE A PICTURE OF THE OTHER ONE. HAS ANYONE ELSE SEEN THIS FORM BEFORE? Attached Images

2nd June 2016, 08:54 PM	#3
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	HERE IS ANOTHER UNUSUAL BARONG WITH ENGRAVING ON BOTH SIDES OF THE 17 INCH BLADE. I HAD HOPED TO GIVE IT A NICE OLD IVORY POMMEL I HAVE BUT THE SNIPERS GOT ME AT THE LAST MILLISECOND. IT HAS A LEATHER SHEATH WITH THE SAME PATTERN AS ON THE BLADE. PERHAPS THIS POST CAN SERVE AS A PLACE FOR POSTS ON UNUSUAL BARONGS. Attached Images

3rd June 2016, 11:01 PM	#8
Gustav Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 1,249	They are Japanese. Kino was referring to the second Barong. Last edited by Gustav; 3rd June 2016 at 11:20 PM.

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24th May 2016, 07:42 PM	#2
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,220	Hi Barry, this is a Maranao barong. Yes I have seen this form before, and the okir is Maranao. This one appears somewhat later to me, like WWII. How and why the Marano have a barong, I can only guess that it was a later Sulu influence? I have not seen earlier examples of Maranao barong so far.

3rd June 2016, 04:41 AM	#4
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,220	Yeah I noticed this on eprey. At first it looked like an earlier Sulu blade, but the engraving looks more Visayan to me. Perhaps a Sulu blade in the hands of a Visayan Filipino? (might explain the leather sheath).

3rd June 2016, 05:32 PM	#6
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	YOU HAVE A GOOD EYE. I HAD NOT NOTICED THE MARK IN THE LAST PICTURE AND IT DOES LOOK LIKE A CHINESE MARK. A GOOD ATTRACTIVE OLDER BARONG THAT HAS AN INTERESTING STORY IF IT COULD ONLY TALK, I HOPE SOMEONE HAS PLANS TO GIVE IT A GOOD RESTORATION.

3rd June 2016, 10:54 PM	#7
kahnjar1 Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: CHRISTCHURCH NEW ZEALAND Posts: 2,739	The coins also look Chinese to me.......

5th June 2016, 08:09 PM	#9
Nirghosa Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Michigan Posts: 119	I wanted that first barong so bad, but it went super high. I settled for an ivory Kris a few days later for a fraction of that (and then the beak broke in transit dut to poor packing)

24th July 2018, 09:37 PM	#11
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,220	This is an unusual barong Christian. But I do like the engraved floral design on the blade, which looks more Visayan to me. I also wonder about the hilt - not typical Tausug style.

25th July 2018, 04:18 AM	#14
CCUAL Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 76	I find it interesting that the blade is mono steel, perhaps the blade is chrome plated. The color looks somewhat odd, unless it’s just the lighting. I have a Barong that didn’t exibit a pattern post etch, later to find out that it was chrome plated.[/QUOTE] No, the blade was not chrome plated. The acid reacts to the blade right away when etched but it just gives a grayish color just like the other five. I had chrome plated blades in the past, headache hand scraping it with sanding paper as it slides through it, same thing when etching it. I had to ship the blades it to a parkerizing shop in Colo. to have the chrome removed. This Barong blade was lightly cleaned with 1000grt wet/dry soap and water, and then hand buffed with Mothers Aluminum Polisher. I do this to all my blades. If it need etching, I re-wash it with soap and water, alcohol wipe it to remove impurities, heat the blade, and then acid etch. Learned that from DaveS. Btw, regarding the Visayan floral theory on the blade, I won this beat-up Barong a little over 10 yrs now from e-bay, blade was very thick 11mm it also have that Chinese chop mark easy call 19th C., the ferrule was all floral engraved, that is what I had used on this Barong, so I don't know? Again, it's been 18 fascinating yrs, thanks to my first teacher RonS, still learning day to day....

27th July 2018, 03:57 AM	#16
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,220	Also, some times these "Chinese" marks are not Chinese at all but placed to look like it came from a Chinese smith to raise the value of the blade itself, just like "Andrea Ferrara" on Scottish basket hilt swords. Since I don't read Chinese, I can't tell if this is truly Chinese script or not. Perhaps one of our members can tell us for sure (and perhaps translate it if Chinese?).

27th July 2018, 03:59 AM	#17
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,220	BTW - Christian you did a nice job on the restoration.