I have heard, as an 'explanation' for a piece missing from the nose of a hilt, that it was taken off for use as, or in, a medicine. This may be a way of explaining away damage, or may have some truth in it, especially if a piece is actually cut off, rather than broken? However, if a piece is used for medicinal purposes, why take it from the most obvious, highly visible part of the hilt? Medicinal use of a piece taken off the base of a hilt was mentoned by 'sipakatuo', 18 July 2009, in the thread 'Question about Bugis hilts'.
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