OLD BARUNG 1

[tanaruz]

Hi friends,

from my father's collection.

1) tausug?
2) is this an example of a datu-class barung?
3) the kakatua crest- is this a junggayan type?
4) what could be the cause of the 'yellowish' color on the blade?
5) the marks on the blade are called 'laminations'?
6) possible era/age?


Note: the barung has a very thick spine


thanks

Yves

[kai]

Hello Yves,

Thanks for sharing again!

This blotchy pattern is sometimes seen with barung blades (only AFAIK) - the blade exhibits the typical laminations from preparing the steel: Apparently chunks of steel get combined with milder steel and result in these blotches after forging. See here for another example!

I haven't seen this pattern with any modern barung blades - I guess this dates back to the 19th c.

I'd place this ensemble before WW2, possibly from around the middle of the first half of the 20th c.

This pommel crest style seems to be a later development of Junggayan hilts but I am not sure if this type has any specific name.

The color looks like rust to me but might as well be from varnish...

Regards,
Kai

[tanaruz]

Originally Posted by kai

Hello Ives,

Thanks for sharing again!

This blotchy pattern is sometimes seen with barung blades (only AFAIK) - the blade exhibits the typical laminations from preparing the steel: Apparently chunks of steel get combined with milder steel and result in these blotches after forging. See here for another example!

I haven't seen this pattern with any modern barung blades - I guess this dates back to the 19th c.

I'd place this ensemble before WW2, possibly from around the middle of the first half of the 20th c.

This pommel crest style seems to be a later development of Junggayan hilts but I am not sure if this type has any specific name.

The color looks like rust to me but might as well be from tarnish...

Regards,
Kai

Hi Sir,

Many thanks for the info. Appreciate it.

Kind regards

Yves

[kai]

You're welcome, Yves!

(BTW, no need to be formal over here - I'm sure every active forumite is fine with being addressed by his/her nickname or given name... )

Regards,
Kai

[Ian]

Hi Yves:

Nice barung but probably not datu class IMHO. The ensemble looks entirely Sulu to me. The blade again may be older than the hilt and scabbard. The tortoise shell at the throat and tip of the scabbard dates from about the 1960s and later, and the kakatua pommel may also be fairly recent. This could be a refit of an older blade, but it could also be entirely mid- to late-20th C.

The "blotches" on the blade are hard to distinguish from patina or some coating (such as varnish) that has been applied to prevent rust.

Ian.

.

[tanaruz]

Hi,

Thank you for the info. Appreciate it really.

Blade: the picture didn't quite capture the 'faint yellowish' color on the blade surface.

what could be the cause of this very faint yellowish color?

kind regards

Yves

[kai]

Hello Ian,

The blade again may be older than the hilt and scabbard. The tortoise shell at the throat of the scabbard dates from about the 1960s and later, and the kakatua pommel also looks fairly recent. This could be a refit of an older blade, but it could also be entirely mid- to late-20th C.

Have you seen any 20th c. barung blades with these blotches? I've only seen them with well-balanced blades that I believe to older.

Seems I haven't been paying enough attention to the younger generations of barung: Wasn't the first appearance of these "modern" hilt styles as well as the ridged scabbard placed around the early 20th c. with later additional modifications and a continuing decline in quality around/after WW2?

Thanks for any update/correction!

Regards,
Kai