KRIS WITH TALISMAN

[JeffS]

Since this post discusses Cato's classification, I thought I would post this here. For some reason I find that section of his book extremely confusing to parse through. I've posted it below with what I believe is the relevant text from the page to go with the figure examples. I've also highlighted the area in question to see it better, using Ian's letter notation.

A. Sulu kris with bone pommel.
Generally, Sulu kris blades have mouth cavities which are elliptical in shape. The older forms feature mouths which are less open and more angular than the later versions. In either case the mouth cavity and the lower jaw point down towards toward the base of the guard. The trunk itself may be normal in length or elongated.

B. Maranao fighting kris.
The type that is distinctly Maranao begin with an elongated trunk. The mouth cavity while still present, is quite narrow. and the lower jaw run parallel to the guard.

C. Maguindanao kris with banati kakatua.
The Maguindanao style, like the Sulu, exhibits an elliptical elephant's mouth that is still somewhat pointed on the innermost end. However, the Maguindanao variety is not angled downwards. Instead, the design itself runs perpendicular to the side of the guard.

D. Kris with pommel of sea-cow ivory and Mindanao "crossover" elephant-trunk design.
Some Mindanao krises have a very similar style, except that the mouth is round instead of oval, and is not angled. This "crossover" form seems to be evident on both Maranao and Maguindanao krises.