Bird-head Panabas

Gavin Nugent · 17th September 2011, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lee

Rsword, Hideyoshi and you both have good eyes and are entirely correct in your suspicions. The blade was in a rack perpendicular to the front of the table with only the face I have previously been showing on view. Somehow I had just enough of a hint or the piled construction to ask to pick it up, and the opposite side - pictured below - was much more overt. I think some persons more expert than myself bypassed it without closer inspection owing to the enigma of the hilt.

My own suspicions are that the blade may well be 19th century or early 20th while the hilt has likely been made since the time of WWII. Personally, I do not believe this hilting to represent a tourist item or a Western bladesmith's fantasy piece - the hilt allows for an excellent grip and the balance is favorable - and the work is either too good or not good enough to recommend such classification. So I guess I will just have to live with the enigma until someone recognizes the style and can place the origin of the grip.

And now you all know it is not alone in the world ;-)

Gav

Battara · 17th September 2011, 11:57 PM

I guess I come in late on this piece (and some how missed it) I think this hilt is late and not truly Moro. Moros would have traditionally used okir to make the hilt in an animal shape but not like this. Yes this is a little odd with 2 of them, but still I'm not sure the hilt is Moro or at least it is late in origin.

I would however place the okir bands and twisted silver bands as Sulu. I'm thinking therefore this is a later work on the hilt.

Lee · 22nd December 2011, 06:15 PM

Gav & Battara - Sorry, I missed your replies of several months ago until now. I believe the hilt on mine is very recent and clearly not original to the old blade; Gav's hilt may be a little earlier than mine - but they really are 'birds of a feather' and it is nice to know that mine is not alone. Hopefully we will find out where these are coming from in due course. Probably a living artist.

22nd December 2011, 06:15 PM	#3
Lee EAAF Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Upstate New York, USA Posts: 970	Thanks for the updates! Gav & Battara - Sorry, I missed your replies of several months ago until now. I believe the hilt on mine is very recent and clearly not original to the old blade; Gav's hilt may be a little earlier than mine - but they really are 'birds of a feather' and it is nice to know that mine is not alone. Hopefully we will find out where these are coming from in due course. Probably a living artist.

17th September 2011, 11:57 PM	#2
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,345	I guess I come in late on this piece (and some how missed it) I think this hilt is late and not truly Moro. Moros would have traditionally used okir to make the hilt in an animal shape but not like this. Yes this is a little odd with 2 of them, but still I'm not sure the hilt is Moro or at least it is late in origin. I would however place the okir bands and twisted silver bands as Sulu. I'm thinking therefore this is a later work on the hilt.