XVIIIth century Philippine Colonial sword

midelburgo · 23rd January 2019, 05:33 PM

One of the swords from the posts above, which I numbered as 11 and it is described in Vicente Toledo article "Espada de cazoleta de placa" appeared in 2018 in an antiquities market web (not available anymore).

The interesting part is that there were included pictures with details not visible in Toledo's article. Unnoticed to the seller, I could see that the blade contains the logo of the Dutch East Indies company, VOC, section Amsterdam.

It is usual that the VOC blades from the XVIIIth century are dated, so 1736 must be when this one was made. It is not surprising that a VOC sword would be rehilted at Manila, in the style used there.

In my first post, I missed that in the Estruch catalog next to the sword 1312, there is another, 1311, not as peculiar, but which was also found in Bulacan, Phillipines. This sword (which I will number 12 for my purposes) seems very similar to the "1736".

VOC straight swords or sabers are not that common. I include some from 1749, 1742, 1771 and the second in the drawing (from Puype) is 1732.
Other threads about remounted VOC blades:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ies+Company%29
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ies+Company%29

midelburgo · 11th November 2019, 06:49 PM

A new example (number 13th) of these swords surfaced six months ago in Spain.

This has the inscriptions:

“POR MI LEY Y POR MI REY”.

And the name of owner, province, village and rack number:
“Dn. Pantaleon Espineli – Cavite – Yndang – Nº 26”.

I believe number 11 and number 12 have lost their brass decorations.

fernando · 11th November 2019, 08:31 PM

Very ...very nice

.

Dmitry · 3rd June 2021, 01:49 PM

Do you consider the hilts to be fabricated in Philippines?

ariel · 5th June 2021, 11:34 PM

I might be missing something, but why do you think it has anything to do with Philippines?
Also, where is the VOC logo?

Dmitry · 5th June 2021, 11:58 PM

The author and others are exploring the possibility that Dutch V.O.C. blades were hilted in the Philippines.
I find it fascinating.
A few years ago I identified a sword for a gentleman in India, in whose family it has been for several generations.
It had a VOC blade, on a French M1767 infantryman’s hanger’s brass hilt. I have to look at my records for the blade date, if there still was one legible.

Jim McDougall · 6th June 2021, 07:12 AM

I think that the dynamics of trade networks are often highly underestimated, and the East Indies were no exception with the complex interactions at ports of call and entrepots.

The Dutch VOC blades were as I have understood produced in Holland by German makers for the various 'chambers' of the Company. The most common one was of course Amsterdam (the 'A' over VOC). These blades were then either hilted on swords for marketing to those in employ of the VOC, or often traded in the many ports they went to.

While Manila was of course Spanish, and the far end of the 'Spanish Main', there seems little doubt that trade interaction in surrounding ports in the 'Indies' would bring these valued blades into this center. Hilting of blades by armorers in Colonial Spanish main cities was well established.
The well known 'Spanish motto' blades (Draw me Without Reason etc) were produced in Solingen for the Spanish colonies in the 18th c., and the ports for export of the Solingen blades came through Holland, so it seems feasible that VOC blades might have comingled.

In my view, it does not seem that VOC blades were highly present in the Manila hilted examples of these Philippines version of the 'bilbo' (1728) type Spanish swords, nor as far as I know were the 'Spanish motto' ones.
It is reasonable that either would occur incidentally however, and it would be most interesting if some record or number of instances of these might reveal an established trade arrangement in Manila with VOC directly.

23rd January 2019, 05:33 PM	#1
midelburgo Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 264	One of the swords from the posts above, which I numbered as 11 and it is described in Vicente Toledo article "Espada de cazoleta de placa" appeared in 2018 in an antiquities market web (not available anymore). The interesting part is that there were included pictures with details not visible in Toledo's article. Unnoticed to the seller, I could see that the blade contains the logo of the Dutch East Indies company, VOC, section Amsterdam. It is usual that the VOC blades from the XVIIIth century are dated, so 1736 must be when this one was made. It is not surprising that a VOC sword would be rehilted at Manila, in the style used there. In my first post, I missed that in the Estruch catalog next to the sword 1312, there is another, 1311, not as peculiar, but which was also found in Bulacan, Phillipines. This sword (which I will number 12 for my purposes) seems very similar to the "1736". VOC straight swords or sabers are not that common. I include some from 1749, 1742, 1771 and the second in the drawing (from Puype) is 1732. Other threads about remounted VOC blades: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ies+Company%29 http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ies+Company%29 Attached Images Last edited by midelburgo; 23rd January 2019 at 06:26 PM.

11th November 2019, 06:49 PM	#2
midelburgo Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 264	A new example (number 13th) of these swords surfaced six months ago in Spain. This has the inscriptions: “POR MI LEY Y POR MI REY”. And the name of owner, province, village and rack number: “Dn. Pantaleon Espineli – Cavite – Yndang – Nº 26”. I believe number 11 and number 12 have lost their brass decorations. Attached Images

11th November 2019, 08:31 PM	#3
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	Very ...very nice .

3rd June 2021, 01:49 PM	#4
Dmitry Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 607	Do you consider the hilts to be fabricated in Philippines?

5th June 2021, 11:34 PM	#5
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	I might be missing something, but why do you think it has anything to do with Philippines? Also, where is the VOC logo?

5th June 2021, 11:58 PM	#6
Dmitry Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 607	The author and others are exploring the possibility that Dutch V.O.C. blades were hilted in the Philippines. I find it fascinating. A few years ago I identified a sword for a gentleman in India, in whose family it has been for several generations. It had a VOC blade, on a French M1767 infantryman’s hanger’s brass hilt. I have to look at my records for the blade date, if there still was one legible.

6th June 2021, 07:12 AM	#7
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,281	I think that the dynamics of trade networks are often highly underestimated, and the East Indies were no exception with the complex interactions at ports of call and entrepots. The Dutch VOC blades were as I have understood produced in Holland by German makers for the various 'chambers' of the Company. The most common one was of course Amsterdam (the 'A' over VOC). These blades were then either hilted on swords for marketing to those in employ of the VOC, or often traded in the many ports they went to. While Manila was of course Spanish, and the far end of the 'Spanish Main', there seems little doubt that trade interaction in surrounding ports in the 'Indies' would bring these valued blades into this center. Hilting of blades by armorers in Colonial Spanish main cities was well established. The well known 'Spanish motto' blades (Draw me Without Reason etc) were produced in Solingen for the Spanish colonies in the 18th c., and the ports for export of the Solingen blades came through Holland, so it seems feasible that VOC blades might have comingled. In my view, it does not seem that VOC blades were highly present in the Manila hilted examples of these Philippines version of the 'bilbo' (1728) type Spanish swords, nor as far as I know were the 'Spanish motto' ones. It is reasonable that either would occur incidentally however, and it would be most interesting if some record or number of instances of these might reveal an established trade arrangement in Manila with VOC directly.