Moro Decoration

[Ian]

Hi IP,
Battara is our resident expert on silver decorations and he does a fair share of it himself. I hope he can chime in on this topic and elaborate on how the designs were made.

[kino]

I believe it’s kianoko - fingernail impression.
You’ll see these repeated on Baka-baka’s and asang-asang’s
I’ve seen it on early 19th century Kris’

[JeffS]

Originally Posted by kino

I believe it’s kianoko - fingernail impression.
You’ll see these repeated on Baka-baka’s and asang-asang’s
I’ve seen it on early 19th century Kris’

Is there a difference between asang-asang and baka-baka?

[kai]

Only language/culture, Jeff.

[Interested Party]

Originally Posted by kino

I believe it’s kianoko - fingernail impression.
You’ll see these repeated on Baka-baka’s and asang-asang’s
I’ve seen it on early 19th century Kris’

Thank you. So this is a style dating at least to the early 1800s. Is this date for the horizontal bands as in the diagram or the diagonal elements as in the three examples shown earlier, or both? Do you think it is called fingernail impression because of its shape or its method of manufacture? On baka-baka it would surely need to be a punch. Once I got looking and thinking I now see this basic shape as a ubiquitous element in Moro design being utilized in many different patterns. I appreciate you posting the diagram with the vocabulary.

[Battara]

Hi kids!

Yes this "fingernail" ukkil motif is very common in Sulu silver, wood, and stone work. It also exists in Maranao and Maguindanao work, but Sulu regional work uses this the most and even all by itself.

You'll see it more often on barung, but sometimes on kris/kalis hilts as well.

[Rafngard]

Originally Posted by kino

I believe it’s kianoko - fingernail impression.
You’ll see these repeated on Baka-baka’s and asang-asang’s
I’ve seen it on early 19th century Kris’

Hello Kino,

What book is this from?

Thanks,
Leif

[kino]

So this is a style dating at least to the early 1800s. Is this date for the horizontal bands as in the diagram or the diagonal elements as in the three examples shown earlier, or both? Do you think it is called fingernail impression because of its shape or its method of manufacture?

Kianoko also appears on architectual elements of a Maranao Torogan (a Datu’s large house).
I don’t know if the horizontal predates the diagonal.
I leaning towards the shape of it being called kianoko, not the method.

What book is this from?

Hey Leif, “The People and Art of the Philippines”

[Interested Party]

Originally Posted by Ian

Hi IP,
Battara is our resident expert on silver decorations and he does a fair share of it himself. I hope he can chime in on this topic and elaborate on how the designs were made.

The work I've seen him post is beautiful.