KRIS WITH TALISMAN

[kino]

Xasterix, I saw how this Kris cuts, pretty sharp blade. I like the way you tested it.
Did this Kris come with the hilt or did you have it commissioned?

[kino]

Tanaruz - good catch. A well preserved Kris. I like these understated hilts with horn ferrule, it’s beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

[xasterix]

Originally Posted by kino

Xasterix, I saw how this Kris cuts, pretty sharp blade. I like the way you tested it.
Did this Kris come with the hilt or did you have it commissioned?

Thanks Kino =) it came with that hilt/scabbard combo already.

I got this from a collection that was mostly made up of Maranao and Maguindanao kris. The curious thing was, all the Maguindanao kris (except for one) were rehilted and rescabbbarded in the Tugaya style. The Maranao kris were as-is (not flamboyant, I'm guessing original fittings).

There's a certain flavor that Tugaya maintains, a sort of flamboyance. I guess I can hypothesize that for a certain time era, the Maranao people resurrected old Maguindanao blades and gave them a more...catchy dress, which would fetch more $$$ as well when sold.

[Battara]

I see your point. It did have a silver okir chased panel on both sides, with more silver inlay originally.

What you said explains the Maranao looking okir work on a Maguindanao hilt and scabbard. Hmmm.............

[xasterix]

I got another 'kris with talisman'

I've only partially restored it. The gold wire asang asang and threads near the pommel are my handiwork.

[JeffS]

Since this post discusses Cato's classification, I thought I would post this here. For some reason I find that section of his book extremely confusing to parse through. I've posted it below with what I believe is the relevant text from the page to go with the figure examples. I've also highlighted the area in question to see it better, using Ian's letter notation.

A. Sulu kris with bone pommel.
Generally, Sulu kris blades have mouth cavities which are elliptical in shape. The older forms feature mouths which are less open and more angular than the later versions. In either case the mouth cavity and the lower jaw point down towards toward the base of the guard. The trunk itself may be normal in length or elongated.

B. Maranao fighting kris.
The type that is distinctly Maranao begin with an elongated trunk. The mouth cavity while still present, is quite narrow. and the lower jaw run parallel to the guard.

C. Maguindanao kris with banati kakatua.
The Maguindanao style, like the Sulu, exhibits an elliptical elephant's mouth that is still somewhat pointed on the innermost end. However, the Maguindanao variety is not angled downwards. Instead, the design itself runs perpendicular to the side of the guard.

D. Kris with pommel of sea-cow ivory and Mindanao "crossover" elephant-trunk design.
Some Mindanao krises have a very similar style, except that the mouth is round instead of oval, and is not angled. This "crossover" form seems to be evident on both Maranao and Maguindanao krises.

[David]

I don't know how other feel about this, but it make far more sense to me to look at a diagram like this the other way around.

[JeffS]

Originally Posted by David

I don't know how other feel about this, but it make far more sense to me to look at a diagram like this the other way around.

Wow, for sure. I can update the graphic (assuming it is helpful for others).