Another Moro sword for ID

kai · 3rd November 2005, 02:20 AM

From my POV Freddy got a nice blade, especially considering the price. As already explained it's not Moro though and I'd also won't call this a kris (nor keris). It's certainly inspired by the Moro kris (remember these peoples are neighbors) but those details on the gangya area would IMVHO never be done by a traditional Moro panday (nor within any other keris culture - wether Hindu or Muslim). There have been quite a few of these non-Moro blades lately and while the details vary quite a bit they always look wrong/weird if compared with legitimate Moro pieces. Some even have a notch copying the elefant trunk but may omit the lower lip or are otherwise quite obviously non-Moro. Of course, this isn't a "bad thing" (tm) and these blades deserve to be collected in their own right - especially if they appear to be original, complete pieces. There was a fairly recent thread here and I'll try to post pics of some more examples in there tomorrow.

There also have been a lot of Moro-made kris blades with non-Moro hilts for sale. While some of these are certainly genuine pieces (trade blades or captured and subsequently refitted), most appear to be recent, "forced" marriages. I can't help to think of these as intended to peak collector's curiosity and to sell off blades of lower quality with a more gaudy hilt. Excessive pitch or even glue seems to be a dead give-away for contemporary manipulation/refitting (traditional artisans were apparently more careful a century ago). However, this clue is often visible with other hilts rather than with T'boli or Bagobo brass hilts (due to their construction).

Regards,
Kai

3rd November 2005, 02:20 AM	#10
kai Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 3,255	From my POV Freddy got a nice blade, especially considering the price. As already explained it's not Moro though and I'd also won't call this a kris (nor keris). It's certainly inspired by the Moro kris (remember these peoples are neighbors) but those details on the gangya area would IMVHO never be done by a traditional Moro panday (nor within any other keris culture - wether Hindu or Muslim). There have been quite a few of these non-Moro blades lately and while the details vary quite a bit they always look wrong/weird if compared with legitimate Moro pieces. Some even have a notch copying the elefant trunk but may omit the lower lip or are otherwise quite obviously non-Moro. Of course, this isn't a "bad thing" (tm) and these blades deserve to be collected in their own right - especially if they appear to be original, complete pieces. There was a fairly recent thread here and I'll try to post pics of some more examples in there tomorrow. There also have been a lot of Moro-made kris blades with non-Moro hilts for sale. While some of these are certainly genuine pieces (trade blades or captured and subsequently refitted), most appear to be recent, "forced" marriages. I can't help to think of these as intended to peak collector's curiosity and to sell off blades of lower quality with a more gaudy hilt. Excessive pitch or even glue seems to be a dead give-away for contemporary manipulation/refitting (traditional artisans were apparently more careful a century ago). However, this clue is often visible with other hilts rather than with T'boli or Bagobo brass hilts (due to their construction). Regards, Kai