#1490 Panabas - Robert Cato's "Moro Swords."

[CharlesS]

This is a lovely, period, panabas.

The shield I am less convinced is Moro. Fifteen years ago I would have insisted it was Moro as a result of the hand and arm grips, but now I have seen far too many of the same type of shields from all over SE Asia, including Burma, Thailand, and Indonesia. Their construction is generally similar to what you see here but may alter in detail to some degree. Note the example in this old photo of Balinese warriors. The shield is virtually identical in construction, but with a central spike. Indeed, the one Bill has pictured has a central hole where perhaps a spike of that type may have been, or perhaps some other type of plug.

If there is specific provenance to identify the shield then we know it is Moro, if not, until I see period photos of Moros with such shields, or better references, I will be tempted to believe it is from elsewhere in SE Asia.