Philippine sword identification
 

Hello all,

I have this philippine sword grasp by e-bay over one year ago and I am unsure about the name and island / ethnic group and the age of the sword. I am sure that you can help me by this. The sword is 55 cm inside the sheat, the blade is 40,5 cm. The pommel is from horn and the attachments are from copper. The cover in down from the sheat are also from horn. The thick blade seems to be worked from a file.

Thank you very much in advance,

sajen

It is Visayan from the Visayan Islands in the middle of the Philippines. I forgot the name of the piece.

On the scabbard the material is turtle shell. This is an older piece.

Thank you Jose, that's what I supposed. You are sure that the material at the sheat is turtle shell? I have thought that it is thin cut horn.

Detlef

Very sure it is turtle - has that look and it is traditional to Visayan pieces like this. Carabao horn would be darker and not as transluscent as this.

Thank's! Now I have learned something again. ;) :cool:

Binangon. Not binagong as it's usually referred to. From the island of Panay, most likely the Iloilo province

Wow, thank you very much! :) Do you able to appraise an age?

Detlef

hi Detlef. no earlier than WW2. I would say more of a utility than personal weapon.

That it was used as utility is to see by many nicks at the edge. But why this nice proper dress?

binangon
 

I agree with Spunjer. It is a binangon from Iloilo, Panay Island, Philippines. Pre-WW2. The scabbard is wrapped in sheets of thin carabao horn. We often mistake it for tortoise shell. The art of carving sheets of carabao horn is now lost.

This same scabbard is also seen in Panay tenegre blades. It is the type made by the lowlanders (in contrast to the ones made by the mountain tribe people -- the Panay Bukidnon). The Panay Bukidnons (previously called the Mundos) make the Sanduko-types. Miguel Diaz and I were at the Iloilo Museum last year where we were fortunate to meet members of the Panay Bukidnon tribe. They were invited to perform their unique dance and music.

I have a similar blade. It was a Spanish-American war trophy from an American soldier.

You blade is probably circa 1899.

floral design on scabbard
 

The floral design on the scabbard represents a "catmon" flower. It is a common design used in early Panay textiles.

Hello Nacho,

thank you very much for your detailed input. I also have been sure that it is thin carabao horn. I know tortoise shell from indonesian keris and it look different. When Battara write that it is tortoise shell I have thought that it is from a different tortoise.

Detlef

What let you think that the sword is from 1899? I ask because Spunjer think it is not earlier than WW2. Between this both assumptions are 50 years. And what do you think, is it a utility or a personal weapon?

Do you like to show your's?

I think you speak about the punched-out leather and highlight with the red fabric.

If this is carabao horn it is something I have not seen before or was not aware of. I have seen thin carabao horn and it did not look like this. I have a piece of tortoise shell and it is brown like this. Hmm........

As Spunjer and Nacho said (who are both from Iloilo, Panay), it's a binangon ... pronounced bee-NUH-ngon, the last syllable pronounced a la Klingon in Star Trek :)

Unfortunately the art of working with carabao horn has been largely lost, as Nacho said. Am planning though to visit one off-the-beaten-path island in the Philippines where the tradition is supposed to be still alive ... not sure if the report is true, but we'll see later.

Thank you for the further informations!

Let us know what you find out - this is news to me as well.

Sajen,

Attached is a pic of an Iloilo (province in Panay) binangon side by side with a tenegre. The tenegre's sheath is covered in carabao horn sheets. The binangon was collected in 1900 in Leon town, Iloilo. That's why I said I thought your sword was circa 1899. You have a very nice old sword.

Copy :)

Sori. This pic should have been attached to my previous post

picture later
 

Sori, pic can't be uploaded right now as file is "too large". Will upload in a few hours.

here is the pic referred to

Thank you very much for the picture and your informations, now I understand the date information. :)
I like this sword very much, now a little bit more! :D

Thank you again for all this informations,

Detlef

Detlef,

Here is another reason why I think your binangon is circa 1899. This is the Balantang 1899 binangon from eBay that was posted in another thread.

Nacho,

yes I have seen it and direct think that your dating have been correct! :)