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#1 |
Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 476
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Hi All,
I am posting this short sword for comment. At first glance, it would appear to be a double edge blade but it's not. It is single edge blade about 20.5 inches long with about 9 inch long false back edge. As can be seen in the pictures, the blade is offset from the hilt. The edge is further from the hilt than is the spine. The hilt (including pommel) is 5.5 inches long. The brass cross guard is about 3.5 inches long by 1.125 wide by just over 1/4 inch thick. The ferrule, butt cap, and pommel are all brass. Sincerely, RobT |
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#2 |
Vikingsword Staff
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: The Aussie Bush
Posts: 4,167
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The blade form is consistent with a dahong palay from the Philippines, and more specifically from Luzon. The brass guard and brass ferrules with full length, offset tang are most likely Ilocano work, although the screw on the end of a threaded tang is a little unusual (more common to see a peined tang on Ilocano hilts). This appears to be a recently made piece, second half of 20th C.
Ian. |
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#3 |
Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 476
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Ian,
Good pick-up on the threaded tang. I forgot to mention it. I also think it is mid to 2nd half of 20th century. I wouldn't have pegged it as dahong palay since the tip is so bilaterally symmetrical. It would appear that the term dahong palay covers a lot of ground. What was really interesting to me was that the seller thought the sword was Chinese and I had a really hard time convincing him that it is Philippine. To be honest, I have to admit that it appears to me also that it has a fair amount of Chinese influence. Sincerely, RobT |
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#4 |
Vikingsword Staff
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: The Aussie Bush
Posts: 4,167
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Hi Rob:
The dahong palay typically has a symmetrical, spear-shaped tip. The term refers to the similarity of the blade to a rice leaf (dahong palay) or to a venomous snake (dahong palay) that has a similarly shaped head. Ian -------------------Attachments-------------------- Dahong palay (rice leaf) Dahong palay [Trimeresurus flavomaculatus (KU 330049) from mid-elevation, Mt. Cagua - ZooKeys-266-001-g098] Examples of typical dahong palay swords and knives. Most have brass guards and fittings to various Ilocano styles of hilts . Last edited by Ian; 6th March 2017 at 06:51 AM. |
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#5 |
Vikingsword Staff
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: The Aussie Bush
Posts: 4,167
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Rob:
I would say the examples attached to this post are NOT dahong palay. Ian. --------------------Attachments------------------- Examples of swords and knives that show asymmetric spear-shaped tips. These do not resemble the rice leaf or the snake that are each referred to as dahong palay. . |
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#6 |
Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 476
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Ian,
Thanks for the correction. For some reason, I had it backwards. Sincerely, RobT PS. Really nice collection of dahong palay & non-dahong palay. |
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