Barung --- Origin?
 

Does this MOP inlay in the kakatua pommel tells something about the origin? I read in Cato's book (page 38) that shape likes (ivory or bone) were especially popular with the moros who inhabited the southern-most islands of the Sulu Archipelago.
Does this imply my barong is coming possibly from the same area?

Does those silver bandings and braided silver wire banding tells something about the area where it comes from? Or was this combination of braided bandings found all over the Sulu archipelago?


Best Regards,
Maurice

Maurice, can we see the blade? :)

Mooie Barong Maurice


Ben

I like it too!

Michael

I attach 2 more pics of the blade. When I got it there was a very beautiful yellowish\brownish pattern on the blade. But when I wanted to clean the blade a bit from some dirt, it was gone within split seconds. HIT ME !!!!!!!!!!
But the strange thing is, I never overclean my pieces.
I rubbed a few times and it was gone already.
It was my first blade with pattern and I didn't know it was gone so quickly! :o
IT was like a slap in the face, but I'm sure it will not happen to me again the next time.:)



Dank je Ben.


Thanks Michael.

Maurice,
Use vinegar to re-etch the blade.
Nice piece!!!

Hi wacht ermee als je bij mij komt zal ik het laten zien hoe je zoiets doet .


Wait Maurice I can do it for you.



Ben

Thanks for your offer Ben. After your divingvacation in Bali.:)


Maurice

HI Maurice,

Sorry to chime in so late. Yes this is from the Sulu region and it is a rare type according to Cato. IT probably belonged to a chieftain. Braided bands are all over the Sulu region, and seems to be missing a little bit of it. There was originally more of a top plume to the back and beak to the front. MOP usually indicates a later period, perhaps 1900 or later.

Hi Jose,

Thank you for replying.
You are very right about the plume and the beak. Those particular parts broke off there. But it must have been a small plume cause it looks like a true fighting barung.
So the MOP could be probably a latter addition to the pommel?

Maurice

This example shows fairly diminuitive beak and plume . ;)

I would not place this necessarily as a fighting barong, though I do think the pommel could be a later addition. However, the back part is severly broken off and there may have been more originally to it than what we see......


Rick, nice example.....

I've always wanted to re-lime the carvings Jose . :)
Somehow it wouldn't be right I think . :shrug:

I think the barung we are discussing had a larger beak and crest .

The way to possibly date that piece may lie in the details of the hilt .
Cato has some theories on dating barungs by hilt carving style in his book Moro Swords .

I've got a feeling this hilt may be 19thC. updated/refurbished in the 20th . :shrug: :)

I would tend to agree on the piece in question.

On being a "limey" ( :D ) I think that would be fine....

Below is my barong which is similar. The inlay is ivory. Notice the tail plume and the beak. I imagine that yours was similar.

Thanks Rick for showing that picture. I like the silver braided wire on yours above the silver ferrule. And your tagub is in better shape.

Could it be that the barung discussed has a very early use of MOP, or maybe the owner "pimped" his barung up later?
In the MOP you can see dots which probably holds the MOP. I don't know which material they are made of. Some have the colour of the wooden pommel (but more shiny) and other dots looks like MOP.

That is a lovely piece. I thinks mine could look the same when the owner was not such a fierce fighter and broke of the beak and plume.:)
Such sort of kakatua also is depicted in the book of Cato page 38. Only I like yours more with those nice dots in the pommel, Jose.

Mine does also has dots, only they are in the middle of the MOP triangles with function of detaching the MOP to the pommel and not for decoration like yours I think.

Hello Jose,

Can we narrow it down to one of the ethnic groups within the Sulu sultanate sphere of influence? Would the possibly early use of MOP point to a Samal origin?

Regards,
Kai

Hello Maurice,

I'd agree that the wooden pins are for attaching the MOP as well as being decorative... ;)

Noticeably lighter pins would probably be bone, I guess. Repairs?

Regards,
Kai

Hi Maurice, that is not woven silver wire; it's cord (for good grip) that seems to have been coated with green lac of some sort . :)

Hello Kai,

You are very right about the lighter pins. It is bone cause it is more yellow than the more white MOP-colour......I think the time has come to get me readingglasses. :confused:

Hello Rick,

I gave it a better look and I see what you mean. Again as I mentioned before.....readingglasses??:shrug:

the MOP shapes fastened on a wooden pin or post must be a common moro decorative technique:
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s...ris003_DCE.jpg
Kris hilt

Tnx for the picture !

Yup. It's the traditional way to attach halves of scabbards and other parts like pommels so it's bound to be also utilized in other/later applications.

MOP is too brittle so pins must be made from other materials. ;)

Regards,
Kai

Kai to answer your question, mine is probably Tausug. I suspect that Maurice's is also based on the curve of the upper tail part (what's left) and the curve of the beak. Yakans are completely different and Samal are shorter and more abrupt in the okir. The only other possibility might be Tawi-Tawi or even (though more remotely) Borneo Moros.

One other note, I don't think this is a fighter piece. Ususally fighter's are not as ornately decorated due to battle conditions but are plainer.

On my tagub, it was originally in pieces - I had to do a lot of restoration in putting all the pieces together and even carving new parts to match. Below is a picture of the scabbard before I repaired it:

That would probably make this one Tausug too ? :)

Lord I miss the late 90's on eBay . ;) :D

Rick, your's might be although I might be inclined to say early Samal influence due to the type of okir design used on the tagub and angle of the top of the pommel, I'd have to look up some resources before I am sure.

Nice to have a complete piece, especially the tagub since these were either thrown away by later owners or broken to bits.....

Samal
 

I notice that the tip of the tagub is smaller than the other examples shown .
Different carving style then ?

Jose, got a recipe for the lime mix ? :D

I've got a few chunks of garden lime . :)

You know Rick, I was perusing through the archives, doing some research, when I bumped into this thread again. Mixture for lime? - no except that you make it thick, fill it in, and clean off the excess. I sometimes use chalk dust since I don't have lime (only lemons :D ).

Thanks Jose bringing up this thread again!

That reminds me that I forgot to post the pics of the etched blade my barong.
I used vinigar on this one. Lemons were sold ! :D