Ethnographic Arms & Armour
 

Go Back   Ethnographic Arms & Armour > Discussion Forums > Ethnographic Weapons

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Old 9th April 2014, 05:41 PM   #1
CharlesS
Member
 
CharlesS's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Greenville, NC
Posts: 1,855
Default Silver Mounted Barong with Swassa

Well, I suppose silver must become the new ivory, so here's a start with that philosophy.

This lovely old barong is likely early 20th century and sports many fine and unique features:

1. A very heavy shandigan blade with reinforced edge and easily visible heat treated zone. This is probably the 2nd heaviest barong I have ever handled.

2. A "chop" mark to one side of the blade. I believe Spunjer suggested some time ago that these marks are often fraudulent and mean nothing, but became a status symbol nonetheless. I see nothing about this blade that suggests it's anything other than Moro made. If anyone sees a unique identity to the chop mark, please let us know.

3. A silver ferrule with a swassa bolster of excellent craftsmanship

4. The top of the ferrule is mounted in a separate, but perfectly fitted swassa insert, again, of tremendous craftsmanship....look at the practically seamless fit!

5. A swassa insert into the rear of the jungayyan-esque pommel. No doubt this one was at one time as perfect as the one mentioned above, but over time an opening has occurred between the swassa and silver on one side.

Dimensions: Overall in scabbard: 26in. Complete sword alone: 24in. Blade:16in.

The scabbard here is not original to this blade, but is an old one I had that just happened to fit perfectly. I have had some very good luck with collected old barong scabbards fitting on to blades they were not "born" with.

Comments and remarks are welcomed.
Attached Images
       

Last edited by CharlesS; 9th April 2014 at 06:37 PM.
CharlesS is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10th April 2014, 02:53 AM   #2
Spunjer
Member
 
Spunjer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Witness Protection Program
Posts: 1,730
Thumbs up

yowza!!! what a beaut, Charles!!! nothing to add, really, except that this has got to be be one of the most beautiful barungs i've ever seen! congrats!!!
Spunjer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10th April 2014, 05:03 AM   #3
jwkiernan
Member
 
jwkiernan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 37
Default

Absolutely one of the most beautiful barongs I have seen...thanks for sharing!
All my best,
John
jwkiernan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10th April 2014, 06:17 AM   #4
Robert
EAAF Staff
 
Robert's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Centerville, Kansas
Posts: 2,196
Default

WOW The simple elegance of the silver and gold/swassa work is what (at least as far as I am concerned) makes this such an outstanding example. Add to that an extremely well proportioned and finished blade and you end up with one of the most beautiful barongs that I have ever seen. My congratulations to you for your great fortune in acquiring this item. To say that I am envious would be an understatement. But I will anyway.

Best,
Robert
Attached Images
 
Robert is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10th April 2014, 08:41 AM   #5
cicak_cobing
Member
 
cicak_cobing's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 20
Default

this one got me drooling..
cicak_cobing is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10th April 2014, 11:29 AM   #6
CharlesS
Member
 
CharlesS's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Greenville, NC
Posts: 1,855
Default

Thanks guys. I am thrilled with it. Somehow it almost seems to have an 'art deco' quality to it doesn't it? Just very different.
CharlesS is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10th April 2014, 03:03 PM   #7
David
Keris forum moderator
 
David's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 7,012
Default

I'm sorry Charles, but the recent ban on ivory has just been extended to all silver-hilted barongs as well. If you wrap this beauty up immediately and sent it to me directly i will see what i can do about keeping it safe from the customs agents and making sure no charges are brought against you…
David is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10th April 2014, 03:35 PM   #8
Loedjoe
Member
 
Loedjoe's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Oxford (UK)
Posts: 96
Default

Indeed an outstanding barong, which I was sorry to see as 'sold' on Gavin's website Swords and Antique Weapons a few days ago, but congratulations to CharlesS for securing it (and to Gavin for finding it).
Loedjoe is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10th April 2014, 04:06 PM   #9
Jim McDougall
Arms Historian
 
Jim McDougall's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Route 66
Posts: 9,719
Default

While I have seldom entered this particular field of collecting, I have occasionally had the opportunity to see phenomenal examples of these kinds of weapons through Gav, who has always helpfully shared many of these 'finds' with me. Naturally with my obsession with markings on blades of all kinds, this one is intriguing as it seems odd to see a Chinese 'chop' mark on a blade from Islamic areas of the S. Philippines.

Although I no longer am a collector of weapons, I am very much of information and learning.Thanks to the tenacious and discerning skills of Gav in finding unusual, and as seen here, fantastically beautiful, weapons I have indeed learned a lot!

Congratulations Charles! and thank you for presenting this incredible weapon with such great detail.

I hope we will get more on the chop mark. It seems these of course were placed on all manner of things, money, documents etc. as an easily recognized indicator of official status. On arms it seems to have been used primarily as a 'quality' symbol, much the same as with makers and guild marks on European and other blades, so I doubt it could be classified as 'fraudulent' despite probably being spurious .
Jim McDougall is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10th April 2014, 07:54 PM   #10
VANDOO
(deceased)
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: OKLAHOMA, USA
Posts: 3,138
Thumbs up

A BEAUTIFUL AND EXCEPTIONAL BARONG ,CONGRADULATIONS!
THE METAL WORK LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING A VERY GOOD JEWELER COULD DO. IF THE SILVER , SWASSA METAL WORK WAS DONE BY A CHINESE THAT MIGHT EXPLAIN THE MARK THOUGH I DON'T KNOW WHY THEY WOULD HAVE SIGNED THE BLADE INSTEAD OF THE SILVER WORK. IN MANY COUNTRIES CRAFTSMEN FROM OTHER COUNTRIES OFTEN WERE THE ONES DOING THE FANCY GOLD AND SILVER WORK I WONDER IF THIS WAS THE CASE IN THE PHILIPPINES OR IF IT WAS ALL LOCAL WORK?
A STROKE OF GOOD LUCK FINDING SUCH A NICE SCABBARD THAT FITS. I WOULD THINK THE ORIGINAL WOULD ALSO HAVE BEEN MADE OUT OF THIS VERY GOOD QUALITY WOOD.
VANDOO is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10th April 2014, 08:19 PM   #11
Sajen
Member
 
Sajen's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Germany, Dortmund
Posts: 8,408
Default

What can I say others don't have said already?
A real beauty, congrats Charles!

Regards,
Detlef
Sajen is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10th April 2014, 09:38 PM   #12
kronckew
Member
 
kronckew's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Room 101, Glos. UK
Posts: 4,145
Default

i seem to recall reading that the chinese produced good blades for the Filipino trade which were then hilted in the Philippines.
kronckew is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10th April 2014, 10:53 PM   #13
CharlesS
Member
 
CharlesS's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Greenville, NC
Posts: 1,855
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by kronckew
i seem to recall reading that the chinese produced good blades for the Filipino trade which were then hilted in the Philippines.
Hi Kronckew,

I believe what you have mentioned is quite true....I just don't think that this is one of those blades. When I see that mark on the smaller barong blades of the 19th century I am much more prone to believe that they may, indeed, be Chinese made and trade blades. Typically those are of very fine quality with very active pattern welding and often flashing grains. Battara has a very good example of such a piece.

To my eye, for what it is worth, there is simply nothing about this blade that does not seem 100% Moro made.

Additionally, note the rather crude way the mark is made, somewhat roughly chiseled into the blade.

Perhaps we should post examples of other marks on blades that are attributed to Chinese manufacture?? That's an idea that will allow us some comparisons.

Again, I am curious if this "character" has any meaning at all.

Last edited by CharlesS; 10th April 2014 at 11:20 PM.
CharlesS is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11th April 2014, 07:24 AM   #14
Battara
EAAF Staff
 
Battara's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 7,135
Default

So YOU'RE the one who got this!!!!
Battara is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 14th April 2014, 04:25 PM   #15
kino
Member
 
kino's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 966
Default

Congrats on a very fine addition to your arsenal. I had a feeling it wouldn't take long for Gavin to tag it as sold on that listing.
With my experience, silver hilted Barungs are less common than their ivory counterpart. I only know of one other and it's in DaveS' collection. It makes me wonder why they're not as plentiful as ivory Kakatua. I don't think it would be more or less difficult than what's found on a kris, for the metal smith in crafting a silver Kakatua on a Barung.

I find it hard to believe that Chinese in-scripted Barung blades were made by Chinese smiths. I question why would a Sulu get a Chinese blade when there are plenty of good Moro smiths to forge their blades. Twist cores would be a testament to their skill. I have a few Barungs with Chinese characters, when translated by a friend, the inscriptions didn't make sense.
Are there other Moro blades other than Barungs with Chinese chop marks?
kino is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 14th April 2014, 04:55 PM   #16
CharlesS
Member
 
CharlesS's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Greenville, NC
Posts: 1,855
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by kino
Are there other Moro blades other than Barungs with Chinese chop marks?

Darn good point Kino...I have never seen those marks on anything other than barong blade.
CharlesS is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 14th April 2014, 11:38 PM   #17
Battara
EAAF Staff
 
Battara's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 7,135
Default

It would not shock me that this was a way to raise the value of the blade, since Chinese smiths may have been of greater value at one time.

It would be like "SOLINGEN" on Scottish broadswords.
Battara is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 03:17 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Posts are regarded as being copyrighted by their authors and the act of posting material is deemed to be a granting of an irrevocable nonexclusive license for display here.