Moro Kris with Atypical Blade And A Borneo Kris For Sharing

[kai]

Hello Jose,

The first one is a saber form that is rarer but not known.

I reckon you meant to say "not unknown"?

BTW, I still believe we need a better description than "saber" for this type with slightly asymmetric blade.

Is the pommel bone or imported antler?

The inner core clearly looks like bone to me. Are those blackish "dents" from burning?

The second is a form that has been seen here before, but not sure if it had Visayan influence or not.

I'd be very surprised if this pommel is genuine Visayan work.

I'm not sure what the collector's Borneo reference was based on; a "southern" origin may be plausible though:
1. The mouth carving style alludes to those kris attributed to Tawi-Tawi.
2. The hexagonal cross-section of the blade is unusual and may point to some Bugis influence.
3. The pommel with its finely carved decoration/motifs is unusual for mainstream Sulu (nor Maranao/Maguindanao) work. It does seem to belong to pommels possibly originating from north(west)ern Borneo, attributed by AM to the Bisaya ethnic groups (clustering in the greater Brunei region).


Does the silver sleeve exhibit any signs that clamps secured the gangya earlier? I'd posit that the hilt lost some silver and it is possible that any clamps were attached with silver wire.

Regards,
Kai