New Panabas

Robert · 22nd March 2012, 12:01 AM

I just received this Maranao Panabas on a trade and would appreciate
your thoughts on it. The overall length is slightly over 32 inches with a blade length of slightly over 16 inches. These measurements were taken in a straight line from the tip of the blade to where it connects to the hilt and then from there to the end of the hilt. Heavy brass bands hold the blade tight with decorative brass panels covering most of the wooden hilt/handle. If you look closely, all of the brass panels are slightly different from each other not only in size and width but with slight differences and imperfections in each piece that show that each one was made separately and not just cut from one longer strip of decorated brass banding. Unfortunately one piece of decoration on the very end of the hilt is missing. The wood of the hilt has shrunk from age leaving some of the decorative brass slightly loose. The pictures for some reason do not show the patina on the brass anywhere near as dark as it actually is.

All information and thoughts you have on this piece will be greatly appreciated.

Robert

P.S.
Thank you Jose for your help in identifying where this was from.

CharlesS · 22nd March 2012, 12:43 AM

Congrats! ...a very attractive piece. I am most curious to see imput on its age, though it clearly is not new or recent.

Again, a very attractive panabas.

Robert · 22nd March 2012, 01:18 AM

Hello Charles and thank you for your kind words. I too am most interested in hearing what the experts have to say about the possible age of this most unusual piece as well as any other information that they may offer. I wish that I could get at least one picture that would show the true patina of the brass work.

Robert

Sajen · 22nd March 2012, 05:25 PM

Hello Robert,

now I am a little bit green with envy! Very nice panabas, congratulation!

A panabas is very up on my wish list. Do you plan to clean the blade and give it an etch?

Regards,

Detlef

Battara · 22nd March 2012, 11:28 PM

Nice piece. Hard to determine age on this. I would guess at 1910s to 1920s. It is Maranao in origin (possibly Maguindanao but leaning more Maranao) according to the okir I see in the bands.

Robert · 23rd March 2012, 06:43 AM

Detlef, thank you for your interest and compliments on this. I am sure that you will be able to find one for your own collection soon. As for etching the blade goes, I really haven't decided if I will or just leave it as is.
Jose, thank you very much for your help in dating this item. Do you think that by the way this is decorated that it would have been more of a status piece or possibly a ceremonial item? Again my thanks to everyone for their comments so far.

Robert

Battara · 24th March 2012, 12:26 AM

Certainly it would reflect the status of the datu to whom it ultimately belongs (one of his retainers would actually be holding the piece).

Ferguson · 24th March 2012, 01:04 AM

That's really cool. Great piece.

Steve

Robert · 27th March 2012, 01:20 AM

A few new pictures after a little cleaning. I'm not sure if they are any better than the first ones or if the are worse. The brighter part of the brass is from where I was holding on to it when cleaning the rust from the laminated blade. Sorry that I couldn't get better pictures of the blade but it was getting dark when they were being taken and the flash made a mess of things.The brass was just washed off with soapy ammonia and a wet rag.

Robert

Robert · 27th March 2012, 08:14 PM

A friend suggested to me that the end of the hilt on this was probably covered by a decorative cap originally. Now after looking at most if not all of the panabas pictures posted on this forum as well as every one I could find on the net I tend to agree. It does looks as though the ones of these that were covered or mostly covered by decorative or even plain panels and bands had a good possibility of the end of the hilt being be capped as well. Below is a picture of the hilt of a panabas that was originally posted by CharlesS (I hope you don't mind) that shows this, while having the same amount of bands (though these are silver where mine are brass) securing the blade to the haft, as well has having decorative panels that look to be very close if not identical to the ones used on mine. Comments on this as well as any other information you can offer would be greatly appreciated. My thanks to those who have commented so far.

Robert

P.S.
I have added a picture of this new panabas with his brother who has been living with my wife and I for a few months now.

Robert · 4th April 2012, 05:24 AM

Well, I hate to post without really anything new to say but I was hoping that someone else might have an opinion on this panabas that they would like to share. I know that there are quite a few other members here on the forum that have these and thought that because I am totally out of my comfort zone on Moro items (seeing that my collection is focused almost totally on Luzon items) that maybe some of them would be willing to chime in with their opinions. Again, I would like to thank the ones who have helped so far and say that any help that anyone else can other offer will be greatly appreciated.

Robert

Rick · 4th April 2012, 04:06 PM

Hi Robert,
Judging from the picture you borrowed from Charles I can see no actual 'cap' on his piece .

I'm not so sure your example is missing anything .

Sajen · 4th April 2012, 04:11 PM

I am with Rick, don't think that there ever have been an endcap.

Robert · 4th April 2012, 05:46 PM

Hello Rick and thank you for your help. The picture I posted of Charles panabas was more for the comparison of the okir on the panels and the number of bands being used. There are more pictures of ones that look to have the end of the hilt caped including the two examples below. The first one is Bill M's and looks to have an iron cap and the other is Ian's and looks to have a brass cap. Again I hope that no one minds my using their pictures. On my example the last panel on the end of the hilt definitely shows a broken solder seam that makes me think that a piece is missing. Seeing that none of the other bands and panels look to have ever been soldered together at any point, it would indicate to me that it could have had either another of the narrow bands with the raised dots or a combination of that and a cap that would have covered the end of the hilt. This of course is all just speculation on my part.

Robert

22nd March 2012, 12:01 AM	#1
Robert EAAF Staff Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Centerville, Kansas Posts: 2,196	New Panabas I just received this Maranao Panabas on a trade and would appreciate your thoughts on it. The overall length is slightly over 32 inches with a blade length of slightly over 16 inches. These measurements were taken in a straight line from the tip of the blade to where it connects to the hilt and then from there to the end of the hilt. Heavy brass bands hold the blade tight with decorative brass panels covering most of the wooden hilt/handle. If you look closely, all of the brass panels are slightly different from each other not only in size and width but with slight differences and imperfections in each piece that show that each one was made separately and not just cut from one longer strip of decorated brass banding. Unfortunately one piece of decoration on the very end of the hilt is missing. The wood of the hilt has shrunk from age leaving some of the decorative brass slightly loose. The pictures for some reason do not show the patina on the brass anywhere near as dark as it actually is. All information and thoughts you have on this piece will be greatly appreciated. Robert P.S. Thank you Jose for your help in identifying where this was from. Attached Images Last edited by Robert Coleman; 22nd March 2012 at 12:13 AM.

22nd March 2012, 01:18 AM	#3
Robert EAAF Staff Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Centerville, Kansas Posts: 2,196	Hello Charles and thank you for your kind words. I too am most interested in hearing what the experts have to say about the possible age of this most unusual piece as well as any other information that they may offer. I wish that I could get at least one picture that would show the true patina of the brass work. Robert Last edited by Robert Coleman; 22nd March 2012 at 04:58 AM.

23rd March 2012, 06:43 AM	#6
Robert EAAF Staff Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Centerville, Kansas Posts: 2,196	Detlef, thank you for your interest and compliments on this. I am sure that you will be able to find one for your own collection soon. As for etching the blade goes, I really haven't decided if I will or just leave it as is. Jose, thank you very much for your help in dating this item. Do you think that by the way this is decorated that it would have been more of a status piece or possibly a ceremonial item? Again my thanks to everyone for their comments so far. Robert Last edited by Robert Coleman; 23rd March 2012 at 07:19 AM.

27th March 2012, 01:20 AM	#9
Robert EAAF Staff Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Centerville, Kansas Posts: 2,196	A few new pictures after a little cleaning. I'm not sure if they are any better than the first ones or if the are worse. The brighter part of the brass is from where I was holding on to it when cleaning the rust from the laminated blade. Sorry that I couldn't get better pictures of the blade but it was getting dark when they were being taken and the flash made a mess of things.The brass was just washed off with soapy ammonia and a wet rag. Robert Attached Images

27th March 2012, 08:14 PM	#10
Robert EAAF Staff Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Centerville, Kansas Posts: 2,196	A friend suggested to me that the end of the hilt on this was probably covered by a decorative cap originally. Now after looking at most if not all of the panabas pictures posted on this forum as well as every one I could find on the net I tend to agree. It does looks as though the ones of these that were covered or mostly covered by decorative or even plain panels and bands had a good possibility of the end of the hilt being be capped as well. Below is a picture of the hilt of a panabas that was originally posted by CharlesS (I hope you don't mind) that shows this, while having the same amount of bands (though these are silver where mine are brass) securing the blade to the haft, as well has having decorative panels that look to be very close if not identical to the ones used on mine. Comments on this as well as any other information you can offer would be greatly appreciated. My thanks to those who have commented so far. Robert P.S. I have added a picture of this new panabas with his brother who has been living with my wife and I for a few months now. Attached Images Last edited by Robert Coleman; 27th March 2012 at 08:54 PM.

22nd March 2012, 12:43 AM	#2
CharlesS Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Greenville, NC Posts: 1,855	Congrats! ...a very attractive piece. I am most curious to see imput on its age, though it clearly is not new or recent. Again, a very attractive panabas.

22nd March 2012, 05:25 PM	#4
Sajen Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Germany, Dortmund Posts: 8,494	Hello Robert, now I am a little bit green with envy! Very nice panabas, congratulation! A panabas is very up on my wish list. Do you plan to clean the blade and give it an etch? Regards, Detlef

22nd March 2012, 11:28 PM	#5
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,139	Nice piece. Hard to determine age on this. I would guess at 1910s to 1920s. It is Maranao in origin (possibly Maguindanao but leaning more Maranao) according to the okir I see in the bands.

24th March 2012, 12:26 AM	#7
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,139	Certainly it would reflect the status of the datu to whom it ultimately belongs (one of his retainers would actually be holding the piece).

24th March 2012, 01:04 AM	#8
Ferguson Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Kernersville, NC, USA Posts: 793	That's really cool. Great piece. Steve

4th April 2012, 05:24 AM	#11
Robert EAAF Staff Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Centerville, Kansas Posts: 2,196	Well, I hate to post without really anything new to say but I was hoping that someone else might have an opinion on this panabas that they would like to share. I know that there are quite a few other members here on the forum that have these and thought that because I am totally out of my comfort zone on Moro items (seeing that my collection is focused almost totally on Luzon items) that maybe some of them would be willing to chime in with their opinions. Again, I would like to thank the ones who have helped so far and say that any help that anyone else can other offer will be greatly appreciated. Robert

4th April 2012, 04:06 PM	#12
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,262	Hi Robert, Judging from the picture you borrowed from Charles I can see no actual 'cap' on his piece . I'm not so sure your example is missing anything .

4th April 2012, 04:11 PM	#13
Sajen Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Germany, Dortmund Posts: 8,494	I am with Rick, don't think that there ever have been an endcap.

4th April 2012, 05:46 PM	#14
Robert EAAF Staff Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Centerville, Kansas Posts: 2,196	Hello Rick and thank you for your help. The picture I posted of Charles panabas was more for the comparison of the okir on the panels and the number of bands being used. There are more pictures of ones that look to have the end of the hilt caped including the two examples below. The first one is Bill M's and looks to have an iron cap and the other is Ian's and looks to have a brass cap. Again I hope that no one minds my using their pictures. On my example the last panel on the end of the hilt definitely shows a broken solder seam that makes me think that a piece is missing. Seeing that none of the other bands and panels look to have ever been soldered together at any point, it would indicate to me that it could have had either another of the narrow bands with the raised dots or a combination of that and a cap that would have covered the end of the hilt. This of course is all just speculation on my part. Robert Attached Images Last edited by Robert Coleman; 4th April 2012 at 07:45 PM.