old interesting talibesque/moroesque sword
 

sweet carved dress; cockatoo? ebay no.3770604908

eBay item
 

Tom, to help out I am posting the link to the eBay item you are asking about
Hope you don't mind :)
Gene

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=3770604908

A VERY INTERESTING KNIFE, IT DOSENT LOOK LIKE MAORI CARVING SO I DOUBT IT CAME FROM THERE. IT LOOKS OCEANIC PERHAPS TROBRIAND OR SOLOMON IS. OR SOME OF THE OTHERS IN THE AREA. THE DESIGNS LOOK CLOSER TO NEW GUINEA STYLE, A NICELY DONE KNIFE WITH GOOD AGE. THANKS FOR POINTING IT OUT DEFINITELY WORTH A LOOK, WISH i HAD SEEN IT SOONER AS EVEN I COULD HAVE AFFORDED THE PRICE :D

I've seen similar styles attributed to islands throughout Indonesia, but my feeling is this is Southern/South-central Philippine.

THE BASIC SHAPE DOES LOOK LIKE A PHILIPPINE TYPE, ITS JUST THE CARVING THAT DOSENT LOOK PHILIPPINE TO ME. PERHAPS THIS TYPE OF CARVING IS DONE SOMEWHERE IN THE ISLANDS BUT IT ISN'T LIKE ANYTHING I HAVE SEEN FROM THAT AREA.
ANOTHER POSSIBILITY IS THE DESIGNS WERE INFLUENCED OR BORROWED FROM ANOTHER AREA BY SAILORS FROM THE PHILIPPINES OR COPYED FROM BOOK DESIGNS OR FORIGN ARTEFACTS. I HOPE SOMEONE HAS SEEN OTHER EXAMPLES AND CAN SHED SOME LIGHT ON ITS ORIGINS.

i don't know guys, i was watching this auction myself. having lived in hawaii, the hilt/scabbard has a strong polynesian motif on it...

The carving on the grip area resembles kris hilts I've seen, while the pommel resembles the cockatoo type of the southern PI. the scabbard and scabbard slide/belt dealie also seem to be pretty closely of the "talibon" type, though the sheath-locker is missing and even seemingly reversed (?). I actually think we might be looking at something particularly old here, with indeed an older style of carving. Alternately, it could be modern cultural cross polination. The beginning of Moby Dick comes to mind, with the Polynesian sailors in the New England port town.