Hi Charles, holding the takouba hilt down is not unusual in period and contemporary photos. Not sure of the exact reason why - a non threatening posture maybe?

Good eye for the knife - hadn't noticed that.

Here's a few examples from the present day:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikaram...57606151530689
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikaram...57606151530689
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikaram...57606151530689

Great pic of Moro armor and kampillan(note pommel holes but no hair decoration)...not to mention a gorgeous shield that several of us would love to have!!!

that is a great pic of an old Moro warrior

Great picture of this Maranao (probably) datu. However the photo is a little washed out, so here is the picture modified to bring out more detail.

A few Moros .
First picture; a Moro of above middle class; he has a horse and a nice kris .

Second; two Vintas .
Note that the tassels on the boom-ends are most likely used as 'tell-tales' to show wind flow over the sail .

I think it is interesting to note that almost all the spears in the 'fence' ,picture 3 have 'tassels just below the blade .
I expect those were functional rather than decorative .
Wouldn't we love to own that fence .

Looks like a Krag that the soldier in the background of the next to last picture is holding; these strike me as exceptionally long lances .

And the guys in the last picture ??
Pure attitude . :eek:

Enjoy . :)

Fabulous pics, they appear to re-enforce my view that what is called FMA these days is not what was traditionally practised and used in their Martial Arts until at some point in the early 20th century.
Which was possibly first affected by the Spanish training friendly Filipino's for use in their army, then the Americans and then the Japanese (of whom quite a few fled to the Philippines in the 17th century)in WW2 and Japanese MA post WW2, just thoughts that have been floating around in my mind.

Perhaps more likely a bodyguard of a high ranked person.

Actually Gustav the datus were the only ones who had the money and status to afford armour.

I will also make the note that in this picture the kampilan does not fit the scabbard and the scabbard was hand painted later.

Jose, so this picture depicts two Moro Datu and a woman?

Would you call this weapon a kampilan?

I have a kampilan with a somewhat similar hilt .

The sword in question looks like it is made from wood . :confused:
D'you suppose this picture was taken after the implementation of Pershing's General Order #11 ?

I don't think it is a scabbard, looks more like a narrow parrying shield to me .

The Datu's eyes are downcast .

"A picture says a thousand words ."

some of my favorites

Khas warriors - Cambodia. From around 1900 I think.

You may be right Rick....

Unfortunately covered in water marks but the only copy I could find...

1910, west Kordufan, two mounted men, one in mail and metal helm, the other in quilted armor and with a kaskara. More cavalry in the background.

Really evokes the period and the people for me. :)

I may post more but here are a couple of favorites:

HERE ARE A FEW PICTURES OF MICRONESIAN PEOPLE FROM THE CAROLINE ISLANDS GROUP.
1. 1910 YAP
2. 1907 PALAU SCHOONER
3. 4. &5 CAROLINE IS.
6. DRAWING PELEW
7.YAP STONE MONEY AND TRADITIONAL DRESS AND TATOOS

I HAVEN'T RAN ACROSS MUCH ON THESE ISLANDS MOSTLY I KNOW ABOUT THE EXCELLENT DIVING THERE HIGHLY RECOMENDED. :D

Some Bagobo pictures:

A great picture close up of Datu Piang:

And now some other pictures from the Philippines - Moros with shields on top and a Mandaya man on the bottom:

Yakan in Lamitan, Basilan.....if you look closely this is a recent photo ;)

Ardha in Kuwait. One of the blades shown appears to be European and the one in the back seems very similar in shape to Persian swords.

Where: Taiwan
When: most likely Japanese occupation era
Who: Aboriginal men
Weapons visible: spears, "machetes", bows, guns
Source if known: taipics.com

first 2 - probably northerners - such as "Atayal"
next 2 - unsure, maybe Pingpu peoples, or mountain-folks with more contact with lowlanders, as you can see one picture has an aborigine with Han clothes, and the other was hired by Japanese to fight rival unsubdued tribes
next 2 - probably "Tsou" peoples judging by the attire and short 'machetes'
next 2 - southerners, possibly Paiwan, Rukai, or Puyuma (I get the costume mixed up)

(continued)

Where: Guyana
When: tribal warfare has probably ceased by now...
Who: Amerindian men in British Guiana
Weapons visible: spears, "machetes", bows, guns

Wapishana I think, dancing, archery
Warau "shield-wrestling"
Then there's a bunch of possibly Caribs holding small traditional clubs
And then there's a wai-wai with bow and arrow (bottom archer pic)

Some more photos

The young boy is King Abdullah.

Also, note the nimcha on the group picture. Supposedly it belongs to Palestinian bedouins.

A couple of additions to this thread.

Where: Paris Museum
When: Unknown
Who: Museum display of Tuareg warriors
Weapons visible: spears, swords
Source if known: Old French postcard

Where: Italian Libya
When: Presumed sometime between 1911 and the 1940s
Who: Tuareg archer
Weapons visible: Bow, arrows
Source if known: Old Italian postcard

Interesting photo Benteng Samaghani rond 1895.
Armed Atjehers with Dutch soldiers.
See also http://www.atchin.nl/Atchin/Atjehers/Atjehers.html


https://www.facebook.com/Keumpenie

From Timor!

Some Don Cossacks by Ivan Boldyrev

Some people of the Caucasus, A Mingrelian, A Svan family suposedly of the House of Dadeshkeliani, and a Kazbegi family.
The attribution are not mine and I hope the spelling is proper if their descendants are watching