Pair of Moro Barong

[kai]

Nice start for a barung collection!

Both blades may well be 19th c. IMHO and I'd be tempted to repolish and etch the longer one (or both). Just a hunch - I'm wondering wether with the Samal barung only the pommel might have been replaced during the 20th c.?

Both scabbards appear to be of good quality. Tips(feet) of both scabbards have been broken off (happens a lot); the Tausug(?) piece with another break on the other side of the throat.

Please post close-ups when you receive these!

thats very interesting if he thinks the hilt carvings can tell us a rough date.

The hilt does seem to be the best indicator, especially since scabbards might get replaced/swapped. The rectangular beak seems to appear in some late 19th c. barung; the crest coming out from the curved hilt as a solid (often quite triangular) block rather than extending as a more-or-less floral ornament from the tip of the pommel is a 20th c. development.

Aswell as that then im told the smaller blades tend to be older??

Size and shape of the blades do vary. Very large or very slender blades are likely to be less old (i.e. not antique) but there may be exceptions...

The use of silver in the fittings can mean its older.

Silver (or at least silver plate) is pretty much standard for traditional barung regardless of age, even for plain warrior pieces. There are some antique examples with brass sleeves though.

And am i right in saying aswell that the use of mother on pearl on the scabbard denotes its most likely 20th century??

Yes.

Anything else anyone know of that helps date these???

Wear/patina, wood quality, carving quality, etc.

For some reason the pics ive attached have been put into wrong order

You need to load them up seperately if you want to show them in any given order.

Regards,
Kai