Unusual asymetrical Igarot spear head
 

47" OAL

While I have several of the symmetrical spear heads, this is the first I have seen like this. Any ideas?

Are these rare ?

I have one too .


Ben

Hi Ben,

I don't know. I have never seen another one. Have you seen others? I can't imagine that there would be some specific purpose to make one like this.

Any ideas?

Bill

I don't either think that they are that rare?
I also have one.

Michael

I've seen a number of Igorot spearheads but they are always symmetrical.

Looks like in that past some non-conformist ;) Igorot bladesmiths decided to think out of the box! Below are pics of the usual spearheads.

As for the possible practical purpose of such, I'm not sure what it's supposed to accomplish. Looks like the spear is not for throwing as the asymmetrical head will cause the spear to wobble in flight. Hence it's more for close quarters combat I guess.

From Krieger - see #8.

Michael

Thanks Michael, for the most useful additional info.

Given that the usual configuration (per pics I posted) are all symmetrical, but given on the other hand that in Krieger's sampling there's one that is asymmetrical, then that makes the asymmetrical form really rare I guess.

Mine does not seen especially well-made or unusual in any way except for the asymmetry. What I mean is that it looks like it was made for use, not display or ceremony. It is heavy and stout!

I also have another one, longer, with the same ferrule and spear shaft design, similar to the 4th from the right in Miguel Diaz's picture.

Both of mine have the socketed spike butt end.

Michael, thank you for pointing out the one in Kreiger. Does yours have the ferrule and shaft like mine?

How about yours, Ben? If they all have similar ferrules like the one in Krieger, it could indicate they were made by the same culture or sub-culture. Perhaps in a similar time period?

An additional question is that mine are in very clean condition suggesting being well-kept for a long time, or was made more recent.

The wood has that older, well-kept look. The collector these came from said that they were in his wife's family for a long time. She is Fillipina.

Hi Bill it is the same as the one you have .


Ben

Hi Ben,

Do you have any age, other information or provenance on yours?

I really like this sort of strong simple metal work and design. Often seen on African weapons. Reminds me of Japanese aesthetics of form, just lacking decoration and coloured metals.

Hi Bill the only thing I now is that I have it from an old time collector it was in his collection more than 40 years .

so it must be at least 50 years old I have it almost 10 years .
Ben

Interesting thread! Gotta point out, Miguel and VVV, that both of you have pictures that resemble these spearheads. In Miguel's post, it's on the extreme right, top picture, and in VVV's post, it's #7 and #8. I know nothing about the Igorot, but I think this type isn't uncommon.

Best,

F

Hi Bill,

Such spear is found typically found among the Bontok, Applai, Ifugao, I-lagod, Kallahan and Kalinga; possibly Tinguian, Kankanay and Ibaloi too; but less likely among the Ilongot (northeastern Luzon) and the Isneg of far Northern Luzon. Asymetrically barbed spears are less common than the asymetrical ones.

Based on the photos you had posted, I estimate it to have been made during the 1960s - 70s. I would guess Northern or Western Kalinga. My 2 cents.

Miguel, i could be wrong, but i don't suspect that this spear was designed for combat. More likely fishing or some other sort of hunting.
Whaling harpoons were often asymmetrical and they flew just fine when thrown. :shrug:

Yes fishing is an good explanation I think

Ben

Yep, upon closer look it's there all right in the pic I posted. Thanks, Fearn!

Actually in Michael's pic, even #10 is asymmetrical.

Thanks David for the pic of the harpoons :) Haven't seen any of those before, so it's quite interesting for me to see the various types.

Looks then that the asymmetrical spearhead can indeed be a hunting spear. To validate the point, perhaps Nonoy can give us more info as to the type of game Igorots used to hunt?

I also googled "asymmetric spearhead" and a quote from the book Arrowpoints, Spearheads, and Knives of Prehistoric Times (2007) appears below.

So in summary, the authors are surmising that the primitive asymmetrical spearhead or arrowhead they are looking at must have functioned more as knives. Their rationale is found on the 2nd sentence in the last paragraph, per image below.

So back to the asymmetrical Igorot spearheads, is it possible then that the Igorots must have also used the asymmetric spearheads not for throwing, but more say as a halberd? I mean if the spearhead is heavier on one side, wouldn't that give the spear more stability during thrusts in close combat (i.e., in the sense that the spear's shaft will tend not to roll inside one's hands)?

That's pure speculation on my part though. But the next time I go to Baguio City which is deep in the heart of Igorot country, I'll look for oldtimers and ask what's the point :D ... Battara, here we go again! ;)

Bill

First you have a nice spear there. It is a rarer form and is more likely a war spear or hunting spear rather than a fishing spear. As far as age probably WW2 or older and not 1960s -70s the patina on the shaft is a nice deep honey color which you would not see on a 30 year old spear. You did good. :)

Lew

Remember that it's only asymmetrical if it's held blade horizontal. If the blade is held vertically, it doesn't matter.

I'd also point out that, at the distance the spear could be thrown in battle, symmetry probably didn't matter all that much. It's so bulky that it's not going to fly far, regardless of the shape of its head. The fact that the shaft is widest near the head also might serve to balance the head.

That said, I'm not sure whether these spears were used more for throwing or in hand. Regardless, I think they could be thrown at need.

Just another thought,

F

Hi Fearn, yes looks like it. Thanks.

Meaning if it was a spear and not an arrow, imparting a spin on the projectile is not critical. We can check that out also in the how-to's of spearthrowing, here and here.

As to the short effective range of the Igorot spear being bulky as said, we read the following, from Albert Jenks (1904):

"Men go to war armed with a wooden shield, a steel battle-ax, and one to three steel or wooden spears. It is a man's agility and skill in keeping his shield between himself and the enemy that preserves his life. Their battles are full of quick, incessant springing motion. There are sudden rushes and retreats, sneaking flank movements to cut an enemy off. The body is always in hand, always in motion, that it may respond instantly to every necessity. Spears are thrown with greatest accuracy and fatality up to 30 feet, and after the spears are discharged the contest, if continued, is at arms' length with the battle-axes. In such warfare no attitude or position can safely be maintained except for the shortest possible time."

Attached is another old pic showing Igorot warriors with spears ready, while expecting an attack.

Thanks for all the replies. And Lew, I'd like to think it is older than 1960-70 and well kept. It is hard to get that patina otherwise. I have another one that has the same shaft color and a more common symmetrical head.

I also have a harpoon variety.

This is a heavy, solid weapon, but very well-balanced! A strong man could probably throw it 30 feet as Jenks remarked in Miguel Diaz's post.

The butt spike would indicate that it could be stuck in the ground. So we may be looking at the same type spear. Under enlargement there are several spears in the picture that are barbed and may have asymmetrical heads.

As to the asymmetric head causing airfoil disturbance, I find, in the case of this spear, this would be extremely unlikely. And though it could be used as a halberd, this also seems unlikely.

Like the military assegai I posted recently, this also seems to have the heft of a fighting stick/club. Like a Japanese Bo.

I have quite a few spears. There is a noticeable difference in those that were meant to be thrown, like some huge 9 foot spears from PNG that I acquired with a spear thrower.

Here is a pre-20th century spearhead. Unfortunately, the wooden shaft did not survive. Likely Bontok, and used for battle and hunting large game (i.e. wild boar and deer).

Nonoy