Ethnographic Arms & Armour
 

Go Back   Ethnographic Arms & Armour > Discussion Forums > Ethnographic Weapons
FAQ Calendar Today's Posts Search

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Old 25th May 2022, 11:15 PM   #1
RobT
Member
 
RobT's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 486
Default Kepings or Barongs

Hi All,

I'd like to know whether the three swords shown are kepings or barongs. Actually, I'm pretty sure the bottom one is a barong but the blade is so slender for its length (20.375" [51.7525cm] long by 2.5" [6.35cm] wide that I decided to add it to the group. The spine is also respectably thick at the hilt (5/16" [7.9375mm]). I really think the top sword is a keping and am not too sure one way or the other about the second one.

Sincerely,
RobT
Attached Images
 
RobT is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26th May 2022, 12:02 AM   #2
xasterix
Member
 
xasterix's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 653
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by RobT View Post
Hi All,

I'd like to know whether the three swords shown are kepings or barongs. Actually, I'm pretty sure the bottom one is a barong but the blade is so slender for its length (20.375" [51.7525cm] long by 2.5" [6.35cm] wide that I decided to add it to the group. The spine is also respectably thick at the hilt (5/16" [7.9375mm]). I really think the top sword is a keping and am not too sure one way or the other about the second one.

Sincerely,
RobT
Hi Rob, I believe they're all barungs.
xasterix is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26th May 2022, 01:35 AM   #3
RobT
Member
 
RobT's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 486
Default The Top One Too?

xasterix,

Dang! I thought for sure the top one with that flattish part of the spine starting about half way toward the tip indicates that it is a keping. It looks as if telling a barong from a keping is rather tricky.

Sincerely,
RobT
RobT is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26th May 2022, 02:53 AM   #4
Ian
Vikingsword Staff
 
Ian's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: The Aussie Bush
Posts: 4,194
Default

Hi Rob, xasterix:

A few years ago I posted pictures of a "Mandaya keping" that I acquired in Manila about 20 years ago. It is here.
Ian is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26th May 2022, 03:02 AM   #5
xasterix
Member
 
xasterix's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 653
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ian View Post
Hi Rob, xasterix:

A few years ago I posted pictures of a "Mandaya keping" that I acquired in Manila about 20 years ago. It is here.
Hi Ian,

That indeed is a keping!

The interesting this is its provenance. According to my museum curator friend, at one point in time, Tugaya-dressed blades were considered a status symbol among the Lumad. So the Lumad chiefs either bought full swords, or had their Lumad blades-only dressed up in Tugaya. I think your sample jives with that- it may have been owned by Mandaya, but according to the brass style and the reversed guard (for some reason a lot of Tugaya blades had incorrectly-oriented guards), it's a Tugaya product as well. Nothing wrong with that, because once upon a time it was considered high status for the Lumads. It's also possible that a Maguindanaon married into a Maranao (or at least Lanao-based) family, and they had their old keping repaired / re-dressed in Tugaya.
xasterix is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26th May 2022, 03:03 AM   #6
xasterix
Member
 
xasterix's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 653
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by RobT View Post
xasterix,

Dang! I thought for sure the top one with that flattish part of the spine starting about half way toward the tip indicates that it is a keping. It looks as if telling a barong from a keping is rather tricky.

Sincerely,
RobT
Yup it's tricky. One of the helpful things to tell them apart is the hilt. Barung hilts have a different flavor vs keping hilts (whether original or re-make).
xasterix is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26th May 2022, 05:37 AM   #7
Ian
Vikingsword Staff
 
Ian's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: The Aussie Bush
Posts: 4,194
Default

A few more variants that might meet the definition of a Keping. These were posted previously in a thread "Modern Barung."


.
Attached Images
   
Ian is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26th May 2022, 07:21 AM   #8
xasterix
Member
 
xasterix's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 653
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ian View Post
A few more variants that might meet the definition of a Keping. These were posted previously in a thread "Modern Barung."


.
Hi Ian, I agree that all of these can be considered as keping
xasterix is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 09:01 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Posts are regarded as being copyrighted by their authors and the act of posting material is deemed to be a granting of an irrevocable nonexclusive license for display here.