Antique kalis for comment

[Ian]

Hi xas,

Here is another Sulu kalis of roughly the same time period as yours. It sold at auction recently for a surprising high amount IMHO. It also shows shallow waves and edge hardening, with a tall gangya. The blade appears to be Maguindanao in manufacture, based on the arrangement of the secar kacang/gandhik and the horizontal jalen. The silver mounted hilt has a circular pommel with an interesting design engraved on its silver butte plate—two squares enclosing a pentagram.

It looks to me that this kris started out with one asang asang (two-piece construction) and had a second asang asang added later (no protrusion along the hilt visible and the engraving is different). I think it started life as a Maguindnao kris and at some point was redressed with a Sulu hilt and an extra asang asang was added.

.

[xasterix]

Originally Posted by Ian

Hi xas,

Here is another Sulu kalis of roughly the same time period as yours. It sold at auction recently for a surprising high amount IMHO. It also shows shallow waves and edge hardening, with a tall gangya. The blade appears to be Maguindanao in manufacture, based on the arrangement of the secar kacang/gandhik and the horizontal jalen. The silver mounted hilt has a circular pommel with an interesting design engraved on its silver butte plate—two squares enclosing a pentagram.

It looks to me that this kris started out with one asang asang (two-piece construction) and had a second asang asang added later (no protrusion along the hilt visible and the engraving is different). I think it started life as a Maguindnao kris and at some point was redressed with a Sulu hilt and an extra asang asang was added.

.

Halloo, sorry for neglecting to respond to this- I agree that's a late 1800s/early 1900s Maguindanao kris-blade but I think the hilt and fittings (including asang-asang) are pre-WW2 Maranao, possibly replacements or upgrades. The scabbard is interesting- there are brass pins, so I'm curious to see what the other side looks like. The Yakan sometimes place brass pins on weapons that they either make or appropriate; if the scabbard-plate also has brass pins, that would point to a previous Yakan ownership; the Yakan owner would've called that 'kalis.' The esoteric symbols on the butt are a divination star within the Ring of Solomon, those two symbols usually go together.

[Ian]

Originally Posted by xasterix

Halloo, sorry for neglecting to respond to this- I agree that's a late 1800s/early 1900s Maguindanao kris-blade but I think the hilt and fittings (including asang-asang) are pre-WW2 Maranao, possibly replacements or upgrades. The scabbard is interesting- there are brass pins, so I'm curious to see what the other side looks like. The Yakan sometimes place brass pins on weapons that they either make or appropriate; if the scabbard-plate also has brass pins, that would point to a previous Yakan ownership; the Yakan owner would've called that 'kalis.' The esoteric symbols on the butt are a divination star within the Ring of Solomon, those two symbols usually go together.

Thanks Xas. Unfortunately, this sword was bought by somebody else! I dropped out early in the bidding. We will not know what the other side of the scabbard looks like.