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#1 |
Member
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 444
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Happy (almost( New Year, everyone!
I have some time on my hands to finally post some recent additions to my budding collection. Here is my first gunong. I was attracted to the presence of silver (a jeweler says it is silver, at least). I have looked around, and only have seen one with a similar bone hilt and scabbard. That said, the use of bone for these parts of the knife seems gimmicky, and suggests ethnographic art intended for tourists. However, I shall let the experts here weigh in with their impressions. Thanks! |
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#2 |
EAAF Staff
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 7,200
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Greetings.
I would place this in the 1950s-60s. The pommel and scabbard are made of bone and the mounts look to be brass. Hope this helps. |
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#3 |
Vikingsword Staff
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: The Aussie Bush
Posts: 4,165
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I agree with Battara. This looks like a mid-20th C. piece--bone and brass fittings
Ian. |
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#4 |
Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Germany, Dortmund
Posts: 8,726
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Agree with Jose and Ian. May I ask how long this dagger is? The fittings will be from silver plated brass.
Best regards, Detlef |
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#5 | |
Member
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 444
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#6 | |
Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Germany, Dortmund
Posts: 8,726
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so it's one of this tiny souvenir gunongs. Regards and a Happy New Year, Detlef |
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#7 | |
Keris forum moderator
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 7,098
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I have an old one with the same exact blade length, slight longer over all and it certainly isn't a souvenir piece. ![]() |
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#8 | |
Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Germany, Dortmund
Posts: 8,726
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it isn't only it's length what let me think like this, compare the wormanship from your beautiful example with the one in question. Spunjer has shown once similar examples, I've looked for this thread but can't find it. I own also two of this examples, not so nice like the one in question. I have to look for to take some pictures. Regards, Detlef |
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#9 |
Keris forum moderator
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 7,098
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Yes Detlef, there may be other factors here that led you to that conclusion, but i was responding to you response to the size and how that guided your souvenir conclusion. This is certainly not the highest quality manufacture, but in the old days we encounter many different levels of quality and it is not because the lower quality knife is necessarily meant for tourists, just for people with less money to spend. But really any modern made gunong is not really being made for native use in the field, is it? No one is actually carrying these blades day-to-day for their original intended purpose so really all these modern gunongs are made for collectors or tourists. My point about the size of Shayde's gunong is that it is actually a reasonable repro at this size to many original old models.
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#10 |
Member
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 444
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Thanks for the comments, gents.
So, it's not the size that counts! Beautiful example, David. |
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#11 | |
Keris forum moderator
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 7,098
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It was when colonial American powers placed a ban on swords, i believe, that we saw the gunong lengthen to compensate. |
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#12 |
EAAF Staff
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 7,200
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Detlef is correct. In the late 1800s the gunong was small and not well ornamented. By the 1930s they were up to twice the size and often greatly ornamented.
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#13 |
Member
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 444
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So...if the smaller ones can be either earlier functional examples OR later tourist versions...how does one tell the difference?
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#14 | |
Vikingsword Staff
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: The Aussie Bush
Posts: 4,165
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That's where a lot of reading and asking questions helps. There are general signs of wear and age that help, but seeking out high quality pieces (good workmanship and materials) is always worthwhile regardless of age. Many modern pieces are still functional. Some recently made gunong are definitely collectible and retain their value. Ian. |
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#15 |
EAAF Staff
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 7,200
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I wish Federico Malibago still had his site up. It had the most information on gunongs I had ever seen, and we have used this info on this forum.
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