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#1 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 999
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A sword that has an uncommon blade form. I don’t know what it’s called. It resembles a Barung in a few ways (handle, pommel, scabbard). The ferrule is horn. The tip could have broken off and re-shaped. If I were to hypothesize on its age…mid 19th to early 20th century. Blade length ~13 inches.
Thoughts? |
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#2 |
Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,216
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Some time ago I posted a barong with a similarly modified tip; it was the only one that I had seen prior to yours. One is an oddity, two or more is interesting.
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#3 |
Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Room 101, Glos. UK
Posts: 4,167
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There was a Spanish law at one point that prohibited blades with points, those that had them, had their points snapped off to make them legal. Didn't do the Spanish any good.
![]() Not sure when that was, in the 19c, but this, like others, may have been among the victims. |
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#4 |
Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Germany, Dortmund
Posts: 8,713
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Beautiful sword Albert!
![]() ![]() Regards, Detlef |
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#5 |
Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 3,249
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Congrats, Albert!
That's a nice piece and I agree with Detlef that it isn't a modified barung blade. If just clipped under imposed law (much of Sulu never was under real colonial control during most of the Spanish period), no major re-profiling would be likely. Moreover, the blade length fits almost perfectly in the scabbard as is and any hollowed-out endpieces/chapes are extremely rare. If any serious extension to allow for a pointed blade would have been present earlier, I'd expect the same sturdy mode of attachment with pins as seen with the crosspiece (no remnant holes present near the foot though). Stylistically, the crosspiece seems to vibe well with Tausug or northern Borneo (not mutually exclusive, anyway). A horn ferrule seems rare with Tausug pieces while quite common with Borneo origins. Thus, I'd lean towards Sulu-influenced coastal areas on northern Borneo. An established US colonial context may hint at a Philippine origin though... Regards, Kai |
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#6 |
Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 3,249
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Albert, could you also post a pic of the "face" of the pommel, please?
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#7 | |
Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Room 101, Glos. UK
Posts: 4,167
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