Kepings or Barongs

[xasterix]

Originally Posted by Ian

Hi Rob, xasterix:

A few years ago I posted pictures of a "Mandaya keping" that I acquired in Manila about 20 years ago. It is here.

Hi Ian,

That indeed is a keping!

The interesting this is its provenance. According to my museum curator friend, at one point in time, Tugaya-dressed blades were considered a status symbol among the Lumad. So the Lumad chiefs either bought full swords, or had their Lumad blades-only dressed up in Tugaya. I think your sample jives with that- it may have been owned by Mandaya, but according to the brass style and the reversed guard (for some reason a lot of Tugaya blades had incorrectly-oriented guards), it's a Tugaya product as well. Nothing wrong with that, because once upon a time it was considered high status for the Lumads. It's also possible that a Maguindanaon married into a Maranao (or at least Lanao-based) family, and they had their old keping repaired / re-dressed in Tugaya.