Ilongot bolo for comment

[Sajen]

Just get the information that I've won by a german auction house this rare Ilongot bolo, called "takip ny bekur", blade lenght is 36 cm (14,2 "). So far I know this are woman knives. Coming from the collection of Dietmar Scheit, Berlin. It was described as African bolo. :D I have seen only few others here before, see here: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=235&page=2&pp=30&highlight=Ilongot post #43 and an other one but can't find the thread but have attached the picture for comparison. My "new" one is the one with the lizard at the scabbard.
All comments are very welcome.

[Battara]

Congratulations my friend! These don't come up often and yours is complete!

[Sajen]

Congratulations my friend! These don't come up often and yours is complete!

Thank you Jose! :) It's funny that I find it in Germany instead of the States. I am not sure if it is complete, it could be that at the foot of the scabbard something is missing.

Regards,
Detlef

[kino]

Nice catch, Sajen.
I love the weaving on the scabbard, never seen one like it.
Thanks for sharing.

[Sajen]

Nice catch, Sajen.
I love the weaving on the scabbard, never seen one like it.
Thanks for sharing.

Thank you Kino, my enjoy! ;)

[Robert]

Detlef, Another great score to go with the Mandya dagger you posted earlier and all in one month.:cool: I hope that you do not mind, but I have done a little work on your photo in hopes of showing the detailing a bit better. They still are not the best, but they are the best that I can do.

Best,
Robert

[Sajen]

Thank you Robert,
yes, I've had great luck to add this two rare pieces to my collection. Funnily, both pieces were described wrong as African, so maybe overlooked by others. I will show detail pictures when I have received the bolo.

Regards,
Detlef

[ariel]

Interesting how the tip of the scabbard reminds of the Taiwanese pattern.

[Sajen]

Interesting how the tip of the scabbard reminds of the Taiwanese pattern.

Now when you mentioned it, yes indeed, very interesting! :)

[Ian]

Detlef:

Great pick up -- these are very hard to find. Do you see anywhere that MOP "dangles" might have been attached. I think such ornaments are quite common on these swords and so far I have not seen one without some MOP on it.

BTW, it is interesting that you have a lizard/crocodile depicted on your example, as I have often thought that the scabbards themselves resembled a lizard/crocodile (with the head at the toe of the scabbard and the remainder representing its body)--the wrap could be modeled after the shape of its scales. Just a thought.

Here is a link to the pictures of my two in an earlier discussion http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showpost.php?p=3295&postcount=43

Ian.

[Sajen]

Detlef:

Great pick up -- these are very hard to find. Do you see anywhere that MOP "dangles" might have been attached. I think such ornaments are quite common on these swords and so far I have not seen one without some MOP on it.

BTW, it is interesting that you have a lizard/crocodile depicted on your example, as I have often thought that the scabbards themselves resembled a lizard/crocodile (with the head at the toe of the scabbard and the remainder representing its body)--the wrap could be modeled after the shape of its scales. Just a thought.

Here is a link to the pictures of my two in an earlier discussion http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showpost.php?p=3295&postcount=43

Ian.

Hello Ian,

thank you for comment. :) I still don't have it in my hands but will look for "dangles" when I have received it. I am also still not sure if there is something missing at the toe of the scabbard. :shrug:
Interesting thoughts about the lizard, good possible.
Your both are very nice examples, I've given a link to them in my first post already.

Regards,
Detlef

[Tim Simmons]

Interesting scabbard with the lizard motif. This not the same weapon but from the same part of the world. When I first post pictures of it here many years ago because it had a gecko/salamander motif on the scabbard it was deemed a late 20th century tourist piece? I think we are past that now?

[Sajen]

Interesting scabbard with the lizard motif. This not the same weapon but from the same part of the world. When I first post pictures of it here many years ago because it had a gecko/salamander motif on the scabbard it was deemed a late 20th century tourist piece? I think we are past that now?

Hello Tim,
have a very similar hinalung, see here, post #3: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=17019&highlight=bontoc and my one have for sure a good age, clearly not a tourist piece. At the side of the open scabbard is attached a nail for a carrying belt and think to see it by yours as well, I think a sign of real use. You have enough experience to tell if the patination on your piece is old, so what you think byself? The lizard could be a gecko, a animal about many Asian ethnics think that it have some magic. In Java the people think for example when this animal give noise seven times in a row that you will have good luck.

Regards,
Detlef

[Battara]

Here is a note: the aboriginal Taiwanese and Philippine peoples are genetically and linguistically related, as well as with the rest of the region.

[Sajen]

Finally I have received the bolo and I am more as happy with my purchase. There are no signs that something is missing at the toe of the scabbard and Ian was correct, there have been once MOP dangles at the scabbard but only one is still complete present. All wooden parts show a very nice glossy patina and the blade is in very good condition. Here some additional pictures.