Hi Albert,
Very unusual sword/knife. I'm inclined to think this is Visayan from the style of hilt and the S-guard. Does the blade have a chisel-grind? As far as figural hilts, there are a few examples of heads on swords from Panay, including mustachioed Spanish men--uncommon but not rare. Perhaps this is a custom-made piece. The blade seems non-traditional for Panay.
Have you run this one by Zel?
Regards,
Ian
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