Unusual Visayan features?

[kai]

Congrats, Michael & Ron: Very nice examples!

Without having had a chance to handle these, my first guess would be that the (laquered?/shellac?) twine on Michael's hilt got added to keep the developing crack from becoming larger (for an original design idea it distracts too much from the nice carving IMHO) while the twine at the base of Ron's hilt may just help to keep the guard from wiggling...

My guess is that the green stuff is from some kind of a beetle.

That looks more like a late, non-traditional addition to me. Is there any precedence for the use of beetle wings in Visayan culture?

Regards,
Kai

[Spunjer]

Do you see any traces of that your resembling sword also had twine all the way along the handle like mine?

no trace on the handle itself, but as far as the twine between the handguard and handle, i believe kai hit it right on the head. pics enclosed are close ups of the twine. notice how it was wrapped around haphazardly (pics included).

What is the guard on your second one made off?

i haven't figured out what it is yet. i keep thinking it's ivory, but freebooter might be right, in that it's a piece of antler.

[Spunjer]

you know, the handle on your piece reminds me so much of how some barung handles were wrapped in a similar fashion...

[VANDOO]

ITS LIKELY BEETLE WING COVERS FROM A BEETLE IN THE FAMILY BUPRESTIDAE. THESE COLORFUL METALIC BEETLES ARE USED BY TRIBES IN MANY AREAS OF THE WORLD FOR DECORATION AND JEWELRY. HERE IS A PICTURE OF A SPECIES FROM BORNEO, I COULDN'T FIND A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE FROM THE PHILIPPINES. NOTE ONE WING COVER REMOVED.

[asomotif]

Originally Posted by VANDOO

ITS LIKELY BEETLE WING COVERS FROM A BEETLE IN THE FAMILY BUPRESTIDAE. THESE COLORFUL METALIC BEETLES ARE USED BY TRIBES IN MANY AREAS OF THE WORLD FOR DECORATION AND JEWELRY. HERE IS A PICTURE OF A SPECIES FROM BORNEO, I COULDN'T FIND A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE FROM THE PHILIPPINES. NOTE ONE WING COVER REMOVED.

I have seen a mandau once with a piece of beetle wing cover under a rattan winding. I think it must be pure decoration. I can not recall that beetles have some spiritual meaning

Nice piece BTW

Best regards,
Willem

[VVV]

It seems as Kai found the answer for the twine and Barry found the family of beetles.
When I use a loupe the wings on the scabbard have the same kind of dented surface as on your picture.
Ron, I was also thinking about the wrapping of the barong handles when I first saw it.

Michael

[Dimasalang]

I'd like to add one more thing here:
That sword is AWESOME!

That is all.

[migueldiaz]

Saw this thread just now.

Wow, nice one Michael! Skål!

I have yet to figure out whether there's a special name for these 'bat'-pommeled Visayan swords. And I'm also still finding out whether parts of Luzon adjacent to the Visayas also used this sword (because some of these swords are not chisel-ground as we all know, like my example below).

My only input is that the pattern of the cord binding on the hilt is similar to the carving on my similar sword. Thus it sure looks that Michael's example is the older one. And my example would then be a latter less ornate version, and in which hilt the style of the cord binding was mimicked.

Very nice example indeed!

PS - As for the interpretation of the carving on the scabbard, I'm preparing another thread (Southeast Asian sword symbolism), based on what I gathered in those European museums I've been to recently. Hope it'll shed some light on the matter. Thanks.