Kino:
We need to see this sword out of the sheath.
The scabbard looks Visayan to me, similar to the style of scabbard found on the deity hilted swords from Panay -- an older style with the wooden block suspension system (I believe Zel has said this style dates to pre-1900). The carving on the scabbard, with its repeated four leaf flower design, is similar to that seen on scabbards of knives and swords coming from the Eastern Visayas (Samar, Leyte) but I'm not sure if it is a common motif in the Western Visayas. The carved hilt is a form that I have not seen previously (appears to be a flower form, or perhaps a variant of naga). The octagonal ferrule and handle are consistent with a Panay/Negros (Western Visayas) origin. The irregularly shaped disk guard (is it horn or wood?) also suggests Western Visayas.
When we see the blade I would expect it to have the usual chisel-ground edge seen on most Visayan swords and knives.
Ian.
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