Spanish-American War Period Barong & Kris for Comment

laEspadaAncha · 11th August 2010, 07:01 PM

Hi Nonoy,

Thank you... I can appreciate your sadness, and reading of it, I feel a little conflicted.

It brings up a valid and sometimes contentious point of discussion - who owns ethnographic antiques? James Cuno has written a good book on the subject, entitled Who Owns Antiquity? I have a copy sitting on my coffee table, and it is in the on-deck circle once I finish reading about Percy Fawcett's last sojourn into the Amazon Basin (a one-way trip as it so happened).

The book questions the relatively recent push for returning antiquities emblematic of a people's cultural heritage to their respective - and current - incarnations of national identity. While we're not talking about antiquities in this particular case, the subject matter is still quite relevant, and while beyond the scope of the thread, IMO it deserves at the least a passing mention.

In the instance of these three edged weapons, it is pertinent to ask ourselves, "what were the circumstances surrounding their acquisition by Lt. Col. Brett?" If we are to believe the account of this particular conflict documented in historical journals, there were 25 troopers under Col. Brett's command and 100 Maguindanao warriors aligned together in a battle against an unknown number of Maranao warriors (if one accepts contemporary and long-established historical accounts, there were plenty of reasons that served as personal motivation resulting in Datu Piang aligning himself with the new American colonial power). How do we know these particular items were not presented to Lt. Col Brett by Datu Piang himself? How do we know they were not gifts originating from the Maguindanao?

One must rightfully consider other pathways by which an item of cultural importance may find its way to far and distant lands. I sell items to fund my purchases. For instance, in the past years, I have sold Civil War antiques - including swords and knives - into collections on four continents. Once could argue that they are a part of our cultural heritage, but is it not my right to sell these items to whomever I choose? Conversely, I have purchased antique American arms from collections abroad as well.

Furthermore, it deserves a passing mention that at the time, the only existence of a unified Philippines was in the eyes of imperial powers external to the archipelago who were in a struggle to exert their control over the native peoples of the islands. The Moros of the time no more considered themselves as part of a unified people with their Visayan and Luzon neighbors to the north as did the Aceh of western Sumatra consider themselves as the "same" people as the tribal Papuan people of Irian Jaya, though both are part of a "unified" Indonesia today. Their significant cultural differences far exceeded any arguably arbitrary ties of national identity assigned to them by outsiders.

Lastly, if we were to return every antique, antiquity, and object of historical significance to the current incarnation of national entities that encompass a traditionally and intricately woven tapestry of diverse people and cultural traditions, we risk losing the cultural pluralism mankind has collectively gained over the seven thousand year journey since the beginning of civilization.

As someone who has taught at a university (albeit it in mathematics, not history), I have firsthand witnessed the insular nature and ignorance of my fellow countrymen (and women). I remember when traveling in an official capacity to Vietnam in 1995, my cousin - a high school senior at the time - asked me, "Isn't that a city in China?" And she went on to attend a rather prestigious university.

Every Thanksgiving, our house fills with family. That same cousin, along with her sisters, arrive with their children. Their sons and daughters wander our house in wonder of the few strange and exotic items on our walls and shelves, and I accompany them each step of the way. I explain about the history, people, and cultures that each item represents. While I have no idea what the future holds for them, I am rather certain they will not grow up to be as ignorant as their parents. They now ask to visit the same museums their mothers have largely ignored their entire lives.

There are of course exceptions to this general rule, but in my humble opinion, not every object - whether it be a sword or an olla - is the Kohinoor diamond.

Either way, it is a valid discussion, albeit one that seems well-beyond the scope of the thread, and I can appreciate your sentiment.

11th August 2010, 07:01 PM	#9
laEspadaAncha Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 608	Hi Nonoy, Thank you... I can appreciate your sadness, and reading of it, I feel a little conflicted. It brings up a valid and sometimes contentious point of discussion - who owns ethnographic antiques? James Cuno has written a good book on the subject, entitled Who Owns Antiquity? I have a copy sitting on my coffee table, and it is in the on-deck circle once I finish reading about Percy Fawcett's last sojourn into the Amazon Basin (a one-way trip as it so happened). The book questions the relatively recent push for returning antiquities emblematic of a people's cultural heritage to their respective - and current - incarnations of national identity. While we're not talking about antiquities in this particular case, the subject matter is still quite relevant, and while beyond the scope of the thread, IMO it deserves at the least a passing mention. In the instance of these three edged weapons, it is pertinent to ask ourselves, "what were the circumstances surrounding their acquisition by Lt. Col. Brett?" If we are to believe the account of this particular conflict documented in historical journals, there were 25 troopers under Col. Brett's command and 100 Maguindanao warriors aligned together in a battle against an unknown number of Maranao warriors (if one accepts contemporary and long-established historical accounts, there were plenty of reasons that served as personal motivation resulting in Datu Piang aligning himself with the new American colonial power). How do we know these particular items were not presented to Lt. Col Brett by Datu Piang himself? How do we know they were not gifts originating from the Maguindanao? One must rightfully consider other pathways by which an item of cultural importance may find its way to far and distant lands. I sell items to fund my purchases. For instance, in the past years, I have sold Civil War antiques - including swords and knives - into collections on four continents. Once could argue that they are a part of our cultural heritage, but is it not my right to sell these items to whomever I choose? Conversely, I have purchased antique American arms from collections abroad as well. Furthermore, it deserves a passing mention that at the time, the only existence of a unified Philippines was in the eyes of imperial powers external to the archipelago who were in a struggle to exert their control over the native peoples of the islands. The Moros of the time no more considered themselves as part of a unified people with their Visayan and Luzon neighbors to the north as did the Aceh of western Sumatra consider themselves as the "same" people as the tribal Papuan people of Irian Jaya, though both are part of a "unified" Indonesia today. Their significant cultural differences far exceeded any arguably arbitrary ties of national identity assigned to them by outsiders. Lastly, if we were to return every antique, antiquity, and object of historical significance to the current incarnation of national entities that encompass a traditionally and intricately woven tapestry of diverse people and cultural traditions, we risk losing the cultural pluralism mankind has collectively gained over the seven thousand year journey since the beginning of civilization. As someone who has taught at a university (albeit it in mathematics, not history), I have firsthand witnessed the insular nature and ignorance of my fellow countrymen (and women). I remember when traveling in an official capacity to Vietnam in 1995, my cousin - a high school senior at the time - asked me, "Isn't that a city in China?" And she went on to attend a rather prestigious university. Every Thanksgiving, our house fills with family. That same cousin, along with her sisters, arrive with their children. Their sons and daughters wander our house in wonder of the few strange and exotic items on our walls and shelves, and I accompany them each step of the way. I explain about the history, people, and cultures that each item represents. While I have no idea what the future holds for them, I am rather certain they will not grow up to be as ignorant as their parents. They now ask to visit the same museums their mothers have largely ignored their entire lives. There are of course exceptions to this general rule, but in my humble opinion, not every object - whether it be a sword or an olla - is the Kohinoor diamond. Either way, it is a valid discussion, albeit one that seems well-beyond the scope of the thread, and I can appreciate your sentiment.