Kampilan Bolo - Bogobo or T'boli or a mixture?

[Battara]

On most T'boli scabbards I have noticed that there is a symbolic rice pounder on them as a talisman - it looks like an hour glass.

Below is an example of my piece. Notice the figures on the bottom of the scabbard are examples of what I am talking about.

[prh345]

I am amazed at the promptness and knowledge exhibited in the responses to my thread.

Vandoo;
-Regarding the beads, when I saw them in the Manilla antique shop in 1978 I too thought that they had been added to dress it up for sale. However, the curator (Attorney Villanueva at the National Museum) said no, that they (the Bogobo) have been using glass beads like this for centuries. He showed me a collection of beads from an archeological dig that were prehistoric - they looked identical. He stated they were glass and would be authentic. I have just carried out a microscopic examination of the beads and they vary in shape and size, are hand made and some have pitting and inclusions. They are threaded with and sewn onto the abaca cloth, with the same thread as in the abaca cloth. Microscopically, the age and grimy appearance and particulates in the beadwork matches the age and particulates of the abaca cloth - I believe they are contemporaneous.
According to; http://nlpdl.nlp.gov.ph:9000/shares/...2mcd/v1/v5.pdf
the Bagobo were the first ethnic group encountered by the Spaniards at the end of the 19th century and they reported them using these beads on abaca cloth then. They are reported to have bought iron from the Muslims and bartered for beads from the Chinese. The beads found in Mindanao up till ca. 1450 are Chinese (ref. Asia's Maritime Bead Trade: 300 B.C. to the Present
By Peter Francis, Peter Francis (Jr.) The 4 small squarish bead designs are the Bogobo "star" motif according to the book Traditional Handicraft Art of the Phillipines by Roberto de los Reyes (1975)

Why do you believe the fabric covering on the scabbard is more recent?
The curator said the fabric was abaca and Bagobo and implied it was old and sought after in its own right. He described to me the tie dying of the thread and the weaving process and that it was an uncommon method.

I agree that the scabbard looks more Bagobo, than T'boli.

I agree with it being a tok. Several years ago I saw a TV news video relating to the muslim uprising, showing of a tribal chief (Datu) in Mindanoa, and he was brandishing one apparently identical to my specimen.

I agree that the metal fittings on the end of the chains would not have been original. Although the curator suggested they would be tin, the mineral ore cassiterite does not occur in Mindanao, so if it was tin then it must have been imported. I think they are aluminium, (they have a much lower density than tin) but they are older looking (more wear and patina) than the white metal sheet.

The white metal sheet on the scabbard has been hand engraved (microscopic examination of the tool marks show they have not been done with any sort of rotary tool). They are somewhat like the zig zag "lightning" motif of the Bagobo but the style is different and there is less wear. Thinking it was aircraft aluminium I checked in any depressed areas to try to find any of the typical yellow or light green paint that was applied to aircraft alloy in WW2, but couldn't find any.

Battara;
Regarding the possible lamination, I believe I can see signs within a zone of about 6mm from the cutting edge, a wavy appearance in some areas, almost like a harmon, and also under the microscope the steel in this area seems to have a different grain structure.

I read in The Wild Tribes of Davao District, Mindanao, by Fay-Cooper Cole (The Project Gutenberg eBook) that they do insert steel along the edge. She wrote "After an iron knife or spear head has been roughly shaped, the smith splits the edge to a slight depth and inserts a band of steel. The iron is pounded down on the harder metal and the whole is brought to a white heat in the charcoal fire. Removing it to the anvil the smith gives the blade one or two light blows and returns it to the fire. This is repeated many times before he begins to add the heavy strokes which finally weld the iron and steel together. The blade having been given its final shape is again heated and is held above a tube of water until the glowing metal begins to turn a yellowish green, when it is plunged into the cold water. This process, repeated many times, gives a fair temper to the whole weapon."
This could be the strip I think I can see along the edge.

You suggested etching to reveal the lamination - how would this affect the originality of the blade? I guess the Bagobo didn't etch the blades themselves so it would change the appearance somewhat?


Sajen,
I see your scabbard has the rice pounder motif carved into the wood that Battara shows in his photo. I suppose this absence on mine reinforces the idea that my scabbard is Bagobo.

Battara,
Your T'boli blade seems to have a scallop pattern, how do you think its formed? I assume its applied to the surface and not a relict of lamination?

To all - thanks so much for your input. It's spurred me on to more research myself!

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by prh345

Sajen,
I see your scabbard has the rice pounder motif carved into the wood that Battara shows in his photo. I suppose this absence on mine reinforces the idea that my scabbard is Bagobo.

Peter,

like yourself, Jose(Battara) and Barry(Vandoo) I think that your tok scabbard look more Bagobo than T'boli.

BTW, a light etch with vinegar wouldn't be wrong, when you don't will like it or don't want it anymore just rub it away with steel wool.

Regards,

Detlef

[Battara]

I agree with Detlef (Sajen) - The etch would be original since these were usually etched by both Moro, T'boli and Bagobo. It would give character to the blade and bring it to the original appearance (although these etchings did not last too long). If you use vinegar or lime juice, you will need to heat the blade a little and put it through several washes of these mild acids.

Oh yes the scallops on my T'boli blade were stamped after the forging of the blade.

And one more thing, the Bagobo do not seem to use the rice pounder motif, unlike the T'boli and the Igorot tribes on their shields in the north.

[prh345]

Thanks,

I will try the vinegar etch and see what comes out. I'll post a photo of the results.

Regards,
Peter

[prh345]

Hi,
Well, I etched with lemon juice and it did reveal figuring structures which I guess is indicative of lamination?

It is particularly evident along the cutting edge. This seems to match up with the report I found that said they split the edge and inserted steel along the cutting edge. The ruler scale where you can see it is graduated in mm.

Is this what you expected to see?

Thanks,
Peter

[kai]

Welcome, Peter,

Thanks for your well-researched thread!

Well, I etched with lemon juice and it did reveal figuring structures which I guess is indicative of lamination?

Yes, definitely laminated! I think you can improve the eveness of the stain with another round of polishing and etching.

It is particularly evident along the cutting edge. This seems to match up with the report I found that said they split the edge and inserted steel along the cutting edge.

Yes, the steel edge usually contrasts well with the lower-carbon iron. Have you checked the back of the blade? It is quite common to see traces of the steel core there, too (sandwich construction rather than inserted edge).

Regards,
Kai