Negrito Dipalata for enjoy and discussion

[Sajen]

Hello dear members,

since a few minutes I am the new owner of this rare Negrito dipalata, maybe not the oldest example but authentic IMVHO. it is 23" high. All comments are welcome. The pictures are from the seller. The sword was once sold by a Philippine "antique" shop.

[kino]

Very nice! I like that old tag, I wonder when it was sold from that shop.
The ferrule looks like a shotgun shell casing. What's with the fur around the scabbard?
Congrats.

[Gavin Nugent]

Nice provenance! I simply love the tag.

Nice observation on the ferrule Kino.
The tang looks welded to the blade, can you confirm Sajen?

Gavin

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by kino

Very nice! I like that old tag, I wonder when it was sold from that shop.
The ferrule looks like a shotgun shell casing. What's with the fur around the scabbard?
Congrats.

Hello Albert,

thank you for comment! Yes, the old tag is a nice bonus, like you I would like to know at which time it was sold. Who know, maybe someone here will be able to add informations.
And a very interesting suggestion about the ferrule, I will look for this. Can't say something about the fur, also for this point I hope for the help from other members. Since I just before bought it I haven't had any chance to examine it in person.

Regards,
Detlef

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by Gavin Nugent

Nice provenance! I simply love the tag.

Nice observation on the ferrule Kino.
The tang looks welded to the blade, can you confirm Sajen?

Gavin

Hi Gavin,

like said in up, I have to wait until I will be able to add pictures and informations.

What I can add are previous threads where similar swords get attention.

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...hlight=negrito
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...hlight=diplata
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showpo...8&postcount=24
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...light=dipalata

This are the only informations about swords called Dipalata or Diplata I can provide.

Regards,
Detlef

[russel]

Here is another reference to the label:

http://flyandflea.blogspot.com.au/20...h-history.html

[Sajen]

Hi Russel,

great help! Thank you very much!

Regards,
Detlef

[Sajen]

Here a drawing found on the net from an Negrito warrior.

Here the original picture.

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by kino

Very nice! I like that old tag, I wonder when it was sold from that shop.

So it seem that the 1930s are a good assumption.

[Robert]

Another great catch Detlef. The fur looks to be that from a young Philippine warty pig, and the ferrule as Kino has mentioned looks to be made from a Remington shotgun shell casing. I cannot be positive, but to me the material on the blade next to the ferrule look like a solder repair made to help keep the ferrule in place. If you look closely (photo below) you can see on one side where it looks like it has been soldered and the solder has been run up and onto the brass ferrule itself. This is not something that you will see when welding. Brass will flow onto steel, but steel will not flow onto brass in the way shown in the photo. As far as age, I think that I will wait to see better photos before commenting in that area. My only other comment is to say that I wish that I had seen this first.

Best,
Robert

[Sajen]

Thank you very much for your educated comment and special for the enlargements Robert. Also the pig suggestion seems to be a very good one. And I hope that you are correct with the soldering theory, the picture seems to confirm this. We will know more when it arrives at it's destination.

Best regards,
Detlef

[Robert]

I hope that I am right with the soldering theory as well. In the drawing of the Nigrito warrior you posted the top of the sheath seems to show something similar to the fur on your example wrapped around its throat as well.

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by Robert

I hope that I am right with the soldering theory as well. In the drawing of the Nigrito warrior you posted the top of the sheath seems to show something similar to the fur on your example wrapped around its throat as well.

Yes, it looks also to my eyes that he seems to have something similar around the scabbard from his sword. Sadly I can't see clearly the hilt form. The other man has a complete different sword.

Regards,
Detlef

[Robert]

Sorry for the poor quality of the photo, but this I believe is the source of the material used as a ferrule on this sword.

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by Robert

Sorry for the poor quality of the photo, but this I believe is the source of the material used as a ferrule on this sword.

Thank you Robert! A small-shot cartridge?

Regards,
Detlef

[Robert]

It seems to me that to be large enough to be used as a ferrule that it would most like be from either a 16 or 12 gauge shotshell.

Best,
Robert

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by Robert

It seems to me that to be large enough to be used as a ferrule that it would most like be from either a 16 or 12 gauge shotshell.

Best,
Robert

Thank you again!

[Sajen]

I want to show the examples which were shown before here in other threads to have a overview from this rare sword type.
At first a picture from the book "Philippines, Early Collections, Museum of Ethnologie Vienna" shown once from Indianajones.

[Sajen]

An example from Michael Marlow.

[Sajen]

Two example in a Spanish museum display.

[Sajen]

And here an example which has shown once David.

[carlos]

This was sold reciently in eBay ...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Old-...vip=true&rt=nc

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by carlos

This was sold reciently in eBay ...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Old-...vip=true&rt=nc

Hi Carlos,

, yes I know! Who you think is the new owner? Normally I want to post pictures when the handle and guard is reset and straightened. I think that this one is much older as the first one, sadly is the handle elongation broken and missing but this swords are so rare that I think that it was worth the paid price and even with the handle damage it's a very interesting piece of great ethnographic worth. I think that this piece is from the middle of the 19th century.

Regards,
Detlef

[Sajen]

Most interesting is the old collecting tag on the handle, a sign of the great age from this piece.

[Ian]

Aha! It was you who outbid me. I thought it might be. We were the only ones willing to go that high.

Good catch Detlef and I hope you can restore the hilt to its former glory. Very nice example. Congrats.

Ian

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by Ian

Aha! It was you who outbid me. I thought it might be. We were the only ones willing to go that high.

Good catch Detlef and I hope you can restore the hilt to its former glory. Very nice example. Congrats.

Hi Ian,

thank you. My bid was just 60 cent higher as yours! Sorry for outbid you. Maybe we are the only ones who know about the real worth from this sword. I don't want to restore the horn elongation, it seems that it is an old break which has received already some patination, it's intended to straighten the guard and reset the handle and maybe to replace the possible missing metal disc (eye) on the one side of the handle, that's all.

Regards,
Detlef