11th December 2024, 05:41 PM | #1 |
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Presumed Philippine?
Received from new member, Gacho77, who desires to learn what it is and whether it belongs in a museum or the trash can. More the former, I believe. I suspect it is from the Philippines.
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11th December 2024, 08:29 PM | #2 |
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Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Germany, Dortmund
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Hello Lee,
It's trash! Gacho may feel free to send it to me so that I can take care of its disposal free of charge. Seriously, it's a rare Negrito dipalata from Luzon, a nice one! For comparison look here: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...light=dipalata http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...light=dipalata http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...t=negrito+bolo Regards, Detlef |
12th December 2024, 12:13 AM | #3 |
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Not trash!
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12th December 2024, 01:43 AM | #4 |
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Agree. This is a rare sword in very good condition. It is museum worthy but I would discourage trying to persuade a museum in the Philippines to purchase it. Items have a way of "disappearing" from museum inventory and into someone's private collection.
If the owner is wanting to repatriate it it, then I would consider one of our Filipino members in the Philippines if it were mine. As always, any transactions should be conducted via the PM contact system. |
12th December 2024, 04:48 PM | #5 |
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I imagine Philippine collectors would be drooling over this. I heard that dipalata of Aeta people is supposedly the rarest Philippine traditional blade.
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13th December 2024, 12:03 AM | #6 |
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It is very rare, never mind having the scabbard with it.
I know of a family in the Philippines of a famous PI general at the turn of the century. The sword with their family name on it was offered to 12 of his officers (so only 12 made). They loaned it to a local museum who later sold it to a private collector without their consent. I also have one of these, acquired before this incident. Antiques Road Show told me it is a national treasure but DO NOT repatriate it - it will only go in the front door and out the back. So I agree with Ian. For now don't repatriate it unless you know the Filipino collector over there.......and perhaps even then............. |
13th December 2024, 01:19 AM | #7 |
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Yes, one of the rarest traditional Filipino blades. The Aeta are not a very large ethnic group, so their traditional swords do not come on to the market very often. The dipalata is uncommon among the Aeta, and rarely comes up for sale.
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13th December 2024, 04:16 AM | #8 |
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This one was auctioned off today.
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13th December 2024, 05:05 AM | #9 |
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kino,
What a coincidence! A similar scabbard also. Would you mind posting a link to the auction page. I think Gallo77 has had his example for several years. Ian. |
13th December 2024, 06:12 PM | #10 |
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Czerny’s auction. Dec. 12th.
There was a notable knife from Luzon that had a beautifully carved hilt in the same auction. |
14th December 2024, 02:38 PM | #11 | |
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Quote:
Anyway, to get back to the topic at hand- I believe "dipalata" may be an assembled/hybrid blade; the Aeta from Central Luzon, particularly Zambales, have been documented to buy or commission blades from pandays in lowland areas (especially Apalit, Pampanga). Afterwards, they may have dressed up these blades according to their tribe's aesthetic traditions. I'll try to look into it in the future, and find more evidence to substantiate my theory. |
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14th December 2024, 09:00 PM | #12 |
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Truthfully,... and sadly, some or even many western museums have a "lost in transit" problem. Some of them of the highest repute!
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15th December 2024, 12:58 AM | #13 | |
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