I can see a vague similarity with a barong hilt but I have severe problems to believe that a traditional moro craftsman would butcher the kakatua pommel design in such a way. In my eyes this hilt could be based on the barong kakatua but I feel this was done by an outsider who didn't grasp (or didn't cared about) the underlying symbolism and went off in another direction. Areas close to Tausug territory (especially N or E Borneo) might be likely places for its origin IMVHO.
Regards,
Kai
|