The attached picture is of a Mandaya
keping. It's a
keping because that is what the label on the back of the sheath says.
I have never heard of this weapon before, and I can find nothing online about it or in any of my references. There are several pictures of the usual Mandaya bolo on this site, and this sword has some similarity, notably a fat bellied blade that looks a bit like a
barung, but that's about all. The general condition suggests manufacture in the second half of the 20th C.
I'm wary of edged weapons in metal scabbards from Mindanao because these often turn out to be decorative items aimed at people who travel. However, this one caught my eye because the laminated blade is well forged and the overall quality seemed good. When I first saw it, I thought it was a tourist piece made in the Lake Lanao region by Maranao craftsmen--but the antique vendor insisted it was Mandayan and he had never misled me about other items. I bought it in 2002 because it was unusual and inexpensive.
Has anyone come across a similar large knife/small sword from the Mandaya? OAL out of the sheath is 16 inches.
Ian.
.