A Moro something???
 

So this just ended on eBay and i wondered what you all might think about it. Obviously a non-traditional hybrid, but why, when and by whom? :shrug:

Hello David, While I cannot help much on direct information on this very unusual piece there have been a few more like items discussed before on the forum. Here is a link to a thread started by ThePepperSkull that shows a couple more of these sabres ? :confused: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ght=moro+sabre More detailed photos showing where the blade meets the guard/gangya would also help. Nice find and a very rare sword. Are you the lucky new caretaker of this piece?

Best,
Robert

While i do see them as rare and collectable i just don't personally feel driven to own one so no, i didn't bid on this, just watched it a bit. :shrug:

Yeah I watched and even thought about it........then passed. European blade, but "Moro-ized" with a ganga, etc.

Interesting piece though..........

I DON'T FIND THIS SWORD ESTHETICALLY PLEASING TO LOOK AT BUT. :rolleyes:
THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT THIS SWORD IS IT WAS MADE FOR USE IN WAR AND IS NOT JUST A STATUS, PRESENTATION OR PARADE ITEM. THOUGH I HAVE NOT SEEN MANY OF THEM IT MAKES ME WONDER IF THESE WERE MADE FOR ONE SPECIAL MILITARY UNIT SUPPORTED BY SOME FORIGN POWER. THE TOP MORO PART SATISFYING THE LOCAL POPULATION AND THE BLADE SETTING THEM APART FROM NORMAL MORO GROUPS.?
SPECIAL TRAINING WOULD BE REQUIRED FOR LOCALS IN THE USE OF THE LONGER CURVED BLADE AND THE ONLY ADVANTAGE I SEE OVER THE NORMAL SWORDS WOULD IF USED ON HORSE BACK.
A LOT OF TROUBLE TO CONVERT A EUROPEAN OR ARABIC SWORD TO A KRIS SWORD SO THERE MUST HAVE BEEN A GOOD REASON. :confused:

I doubt these were influenced by anything the Moros would have run into from other Pacific cultures, but I wonder if they saw some value in the curved swords of Muslim traders they would have encountered like shamshirs or tulwars? They may also have been influenced by curved European swords. Clearly these were never preferred over the beloved kriss or barong, as they show up so rarely by comparison, but it is interesting that they are seen from time to time, and that in many cases a lot of trouble has been made to "Moro-ize" them. Some even seem to have status mounts.

Based on the few I have seen, they are a Philippine phenomenon and not Malay, but perhaps someone has some evidence otherwise??

What did it go for may I ask?

I have no doubt it is a very old one whatso-ever!
A great and rare piece, worth bidding on when I knew about it before....


Maurice

I find this sword intriguing.
When a couple from Bakas Pilipinas were in Seattle conducting their research, I was asked to accompany them to the Burke Museum,where I handled one with a similar blade profile, it was very light, but I couldn't give it a good swing.

Maybe the reason why there are not very many of them is because the blades were not easy to come by. I don't think this might have been the primary go to weapon, just to wear, when one is about town with the boys. Could they be just made for people that were on the upper rungs of the ladder, which they could afford more than one sword?
I would love to see a photo of a Moro with one of these type of swords on their side.
Here is a photo of a Sultan with a western style uniform and sword.