Why was this one so special ...

[Ian]

I'm struggling to understand why this knife sold for as much as it did. Am I missing something?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=270138626931

[katana]

Does not look to be anything 'special', the guard looks flimsy and weak....similar to the 'GI tourist' type swords from WW2.....but then...what do I know

[ariel]

Perhaps, it is just "old man's griping", but it seems to me that a lot of knowledgeable collectors who were using E-bay quietly vanished and there is a new and large group of people with a feedback of 2-5, too much money and absolutely no understanding or knowledge of antique or ethnic weapons.
Lurid fakes are bought left and right, junk goes for mucho dinero and legitimate collectors are regularly outbid by some unknowns by a 2-3 fold offer differential.

[Jim McDougall]

I'm with you Ian, and I can only imagine this was probably perceived as a 'sleeper' with the allusion to a Revolutionary War hilt. It seems like all manner of put together and contrived pieces end up in the 'catch all' of Filipino weapons brought back during military service from Spanish American War through WWII, as Katana has suggested.

While the spiral grooved grip and the animal head, with the prominant ferrule of the hilt suggest Revolutionary War period American hangers and sabres, the monkey head obviously deters that possibility. It does seem that a clever artisan created an interesting amalgam of features in this item.

The monkey head may somehow represent the monkey god of Hindu and Buddhist pantheons, but it seems strange how this image might apply to a sword/dagger fashioned in the style of early Spanish espada anchas with an American Revolution form hilt. Further, there must be some symbolism more aligned with Filipino tradition or folklore concerning the monkey head.

The agreed flimsy 'knuckleguard' hilt seems to correspond to vestigial representations of full guarded hilts often seen on Spanish colonial 'refabricated' items that are often found in the bring back category.

It is an interesting item, and clearly curiosity prevails as seen here

All the best,
Jim

[Ian]

Thanks to you all. I agree completely with all that you have said. Thought I must have been missing something "special" here.

I would place this as Filipino work, probably no earlier than WWII, and as you have each indicated it was probably overvalued by a factor of 2-3. The monkey head is seen on some northern Luzon knives and swords, notably from Igorot groups, but mainly on pieces made in the 20th C. and for consumption outside the original culture -- even to the point of adding monkey skulls to the scabbards.

As Ariel notes, it is unfortunate that some of the more knowledgable collectors seem to have abandoned eBay.

Ian.

[Spunjer]

As Ariel notes, it is unfortunate that some of the more knowledgable collectors seem to have abandoned eBay.

abandoned? i doubt it... outsniped? well, as ariel put it, " there is a new and large group of people with a feedback of 2-5, too much money and absolutely no understanding or knowledge of antique or ethnic weapons."
i don't think they're new tho; just changing names, IMHO

[Rick]

Originally Posted by Spunjer

abandoned? i doubt it... outsniped? well, as ariel put it, " there is a new and large group of people with a feedback of 2-5, too much money and absolutely no understanding or knowledge of antique or ethnic weapons."
i don't think they're new tho; just changing names, IMHO

The E.W. collecting community does seem to have grown; and they have money to burn.

[ariel]

Originally Posted by Spunjer

abandoned? i doubt it... outsniped? well, as ariel put it, " there is a new and large group of people with a feedback of 2-5, too much money and absolutely no understanding or knowledge of antique or ethnic weapons."
i don't think they're new tho; just changing names, IMHO

I think the ARE new: witness increased incidents of astonishing money paid for junk.
We all do it sometimes: either get fooled, too excited or getting a lousy piece because there is a ( what we think) important feature ( "... the blade is a replacement, but the handle seems to be the missing link..."-type).
But the new crop on e-bay just BUYS!