Terrific contributions, Fernando and estcrh.
I've been reading Kroeber and Krieger on arms production among the Muslim peoples of the Philippines. Both wrote in the first quarter of the 20th century and have distinct perspectives. Kreiger is far more in-depth and provides as much provenance as possible. Both he and Kroeber report that armor was less commonly used in conflicts of the latter 19th-early 20th century. This may suggest that the helmets and coats under discussion date decades earlier. In the process of examining the few helmets available to me, I am finding that there is a distinct difference in weight, which may bear upon their relative age. Forum members that are lucky enough to own Moro helmets, it would really help the direction of this research if you can post an image and weight.
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