Quote:
Originally Posted by kai
Thanks, Ray, that is a very elegant blade as far as non-archaic pieces are concerned!
I'd guess this dates back to the mid-19th century. Also twistcore is rare with diamond cross-sections. Could you add dimensions, please?
Do you have pics of the original configuration even if damaged?
I'm afraid that I don't see much semblance of the crosspiece carving with the Filipino style shown; especially the mediterranean Acanthus motif seems to be missing. I'd rather posit that there seem to be Melayu ties: While most Malay motifs represent flowers with radial symmetry, a few may be shown in profile; also the vegetal/vine motif seems to be closer IMHO. For example, fairly similar flowers are shown in "Spirit of Wood" on pages 86-87 (top figure).
If not traditional Moro/Sulu ukkil, maybe more recent influence via Brunei?
Regards,
Kai
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Hi Kai! Really grateful for your insights- I'm always happy to be proven wrong, especially since I need to learn more about patterns. I'm attaching a pic of the orig hilt config. I don't have a copy of the book you mentioned- but I'm trying to dig for one. I agree the Malay angle may be more logical as far as influence is concerned. As for measurement, it's 21in blade, 5.5in hilt (the replacement hilt grip has the exact measurement as the orig- I'd like to think that was fate at play!).