A very nice keping for our records
 

Recently sold by a member, a very nice old keping! I think worth to keep the pictures, congrats for the winner!

More pictures!

Description from the seller:

Interesting Moro Barong with Handguard and Unusual Blade. This sword measures 24 1/2” in total length when measured in its scabbard. Features an unusual handle. It is made up of a wood pommel with well carved crest to the top and back of the pommel. Metal nails outline the rim of the pommel. There is a stable crack to the wood in one spot but no separation. Below this are stacked ferrules with copper and brass. The center ferrule is plain but the other stacked ferrules are decorated. An interesting feature is the handguard. Not typically found on Barong this one has carvings to the blade side and then the quillon curls back. The blade is also an interesting shape. The blade angles up from the guard and then goes straight for a bit before angling down towards the tip. Gives the blade a longer, more narrow profile. Blade edge is very sharp. One side of the blade shows some lamination more readily than the opposite side. The scabbard is also interesting. It is on the heavier side for these and sports carvings at the top and the bottom. There are 3 inserted metal discs with carvings and an inserted coin. It is an interesting coin. On the bottom it states “John Paul Jones” and at the top it states “National Hero” and the date is 1792. Most likely a commemorative coin minted much later than 1792 but an unusual find on a Moro Barong.

Hi Detlef,

That's an interesting Maranao piece from early to mid-20th C. The up-curled guard is very similar to some pre-WWII pieces from the Lake Lanao region. There are gunong from that same period that have up-curved guards also, and these might reflect the fancy plumage of the sarimanok totem (discussed elsewhere on this Forum).

The blade is probably a Maranao version of a barung, but it might also be from Zamboanga as it is rather narrow overall and quite wide adjacent to the hilt. The straight section of the spine from the point of maximum width down to the tip is also seen on some Palawano barung blades.

The John Paul Jones "coin" refers to the commander of the Revolutionary Navy in the war of the American Colonies against Britain. John Paul Jones died in 1792. This particular coin came out of a MAZUMA GUM packet made by the Chiclet Company. The coin was made in 1934 and was worth "Mazuma" 10 cents play money (see pics). Interesting old piece of Americana!


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Hi Ian,
Thank you for further information about this nice sword!

Regards,
Detlef

I posted this one five years ago. At the time, it was discussed that the Mandaya attribution was probably wrong, and that this was more likely a Maranao piece made in the mid-20th C. Having seen a few more of this type, I'm even more inclined to label it as Maranao, even though it may have been collected from a Mandayan man.

Similar upturned ends to the guard.

I agree with Ian that this is a Maranao manufacture and I agree with his age estimate.

These were picked up later by Maranao and the okir designs would also be Maranao.