OLD BARUNG 1

[Ian]

Hi Yves:

Nice barung but probably not datu class IMHO. The ensemble looks entirely Sulu to me. The blade again may be older than the hilt and scabbard. The tortoise shell at the throat and tip of the scabbard dates from about the 1960s and later, and the kakatua pommel may also be fairly recent. This could be a refit of an older blade, but it could also be entirely mid- to late-20th C.

The "blotches" on the blade are hard to distinguish from patina or some coating (such as varnish) that has been applied to prevent rust.

Ian.

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