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Originally Posted by Rafngard
Well, if no one has seen one like this, let me ask these questions.
Does the inlay work seem Filipino, from a style perspective?
If so, from where in the Philippines? While it matches the profile rather closely of an antique moro kris (even being shorter in length than a lot of modern training equipment) but the inlay doesn't seem very Moro to my (largely untrained) eyes.
Am I right in thinking that the mother of pearl indicates WWII or later?
Thanks,
Leif
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Hi again Leif,
Thanks for taking my assertion constructively. Moving forward, the inlay work is reminiscent of ukkil from Sulu. While the ukkil I usually encounter on modern BangsaMoro weapons - especially those made by the Tausug- have waves as primary motif, there would be vines from time to time, or creeping plants with flowers (such as the one depicted on your wooden kris). The first thing I usually look at is symmetry- if it's symmetrical, then there's a stronger probability that it was made by BangsaMoro hands (although can't really be 100% sure; there are weapon reproduction outfits that counterfeit well). There are usually two types of symmetry: AB - BA, the most common (mirror), and AB - AB (same theme, but not mirrored; repeated) and I can see both types occurring on your wooden kris.
Regarding age, it's difficult to ascertain, as modern-day pieces still use MOP.