"Early" Moro kris

[Battara]

Here are examples of Indonesian kris sundang with asana-asang

[Battara]

Here is one of mine. It is ivory, swassa, and silver. Not much of a pamor in the blade. I believe this is from Tawi-Tawi.

[Ian]

Originally Posted by Battara

Here are examples of Indonesian kris sundang with asana-asang

Hi Jose, I would have placed these as Malay in origin. What features speak to you that these are Indonesian?

[Battara]

Perhaps I'm missing something, but Malay and Indonesian sundang are virtually the same.

[Ian]

I was referring to Melayu or other ethnicities/regions now considered part of Malaysia. Are you using "Malay" as a generic term for Malay people, defined broadly?

[Battara]

Now that I think of it, I guess I mistakenly was using it as a broader term. I guess I need to do a better job of definition.

[Ian]

Jose, I'm looking at the second of four examples you show of non-Moro kris. This one is dressed in a distinctly non-Moro fashion, which I think originates from somewhere in what is now Malaysia. The blade (from what I can see of it—there appears to be a lot of active rust) does have an "arrow head" feature that is highly correlated with Moro manufacture. So this looks like a Moro blade (probably from the Sulu Archipelago) that has been owned by a Malaysian.

Your first example might also be an old Sulu blade, redressed in a Malaysian fashion.

The last two are completely non-Moro in origin.

[Battara]

I agree. Lots of trade within the region.