Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Ian · 24th March 2005, 05:27 PM

Congrats on finding a nice old example of a kampilan, probably 19th C., that has some features which make me think it is probably Maranao.

The Maranao features are the style of the hilt with a prominent round disk at the junction of the two "jaws," as well as the use of a silver band at the end of the grip decorated with ")" marks which are still seen today on pieces coming from the Lake Lanao region. Similar silver bands can be seen on some Maranao kris.

I do think this is silver from the appearance in the pictures. Pure silver was used on many early Moro weapons, as well as coin silver from melting down Spanish and later American silver coins. Silver (or any other precious metal) decoration is uncommon on kampilan, and perhaps indicates ownership by someone of higher rank, as Mike has indicated. It is unusual to see such ornamentation on kampilan, perhaps because these were exclusively weapons and were not worn for display (although some dignitaries did have large, unusual examples carried by attendants as a symbol of rank or power).

It is likely that the grip on this one was wrapped with rattan strips or cord during its earlier life, and these have been lost with time.

There are many posts about kampilan on this web site, and I would encourage you to use the search function for "kampilan" to learn more about them.

Ian.

24th March 2005, 05:27 PM	#12
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,034	Nice old kampilan Congrats on finding a nice old example of a kampilan, probably 19th C., that has some features which make me think it is probably Maranao. The Maranao features are the style of the hilt with a prominent round disk at the junction of the two "jaws," as well as the use of a silver band at the end of the grip decorated with ")" marks which are still seen today on pieces coming from the Lake Lanao region. Similar silver bands can be seen on some Maranao kris. I do think this is silver from the appearance in the pictures. Pure silver was used on many early Moro weapons, as well as coin silver from melting down Spanish and later American silver coins. Silver (or any other precious metal) decoration is uncommon on kampilan, and perhaps indicates ownership by someone of higher rank, as Mike has indicated. It is unusual to see such ornamentation on kampilan, perhaps because these were exclusively weapons and were not worn for display (although some dignitaries did have large, unusual examples carried by attendants as a symbol of rank or power). It is likely that the grip on this one was wrapped with rattan strips or cord during its earlier life, and these have been lost with time. There are many posts about kampilan on this web site, and I would encourage you to use the search function for "kampilan" to learn more about them. Ian. Last edited by Ian; 24th March 2005 at 10:01 PM.