Important Collection of Antique Asian Arms
Lot 4:
This is a classic sword of the Moro people of the southern Philippines and of the Sulu Sea areacalled a kris. The classic Moro kris is based heavily on the Indonesian keris but is distinctlylarger and made purposefully for fighting. The kris has always been the most famous of allMoro weapons and there are a wide set of variation of blade types, handle forms, and materials.Generally all kris blades are wide at the base, double-edged, and can be waved, half-waved halfstraight, or straight in which case they were more practical in combat. Especially high qualitykris for Datu’s, would have been made of rare materials and had blades of especially fineconstruction with lamellar steel or in some rare cases twistcore blade forms. Datu’s would havewielded these in battle against Americans during the successive (pacification) campaigns theAmerican carried out following the Spanish American War. The Moros armed resistance tookseveral forms. Some Moros, especially on heavily forested Mindanao, practiced guerrillawarfare, raiding U.S. encampments for weapons and setting ambushes on jungle trails. The mostunnerving form of Moro resistance was the juramentado, or suicide attack. A juramentadoattacker would seek to reach paradise by slaying as many nonbelievers as possible before beingkilled himself.Older kris before the 19th century tended to be smaller in size. Laminated steel patterns aresometimes evident. One of the other key defining features of almost all kris blade is the ganja, orthe portion of the blade at the base which on genuine antique examples is welded on, hasopposite the hook like fretwork, a cavity in the form of an elephant, eagle, or the mouth of a naga(a mythical snake).This example in the Schmiedt Collection is of Datu level quality. The hilt is a classic form with astylized carved kakatua pommel. The handle wrapped in twine and with silver or white metalfittings. The asang-asang clamps in silver, and potentially replaced from the originals. Theblade is a very fine example of shallow 7 luk form and displaying a complex lamellar patternwhich appears to be twistcore patterned. Twistcore blades are rare on Moro swords, and morecommonly found on Indonesian swords.Dating to the late 19th century.Total Length (inside scabbard if present) : 28 1/2" Blade Length : 24".Shipping of this lot is within USA ONLY, except CA and NJ. NO INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING.References:1. Cato, R. (1996) Moro swords. Graham Brash: Singapore2. Barados, D., (1995) Land of the Morning: Treasures of the Philippines, San Francisco Craft &Folk Museum, 1995.3. Casal, G. et al, (1981) The People and Art of the Philippines, UCLA Museum of CulturalHistory4. Combes, F. (1667) Historia de Mindanao y Jol, por el p. Francisco Comb’s … Obra publicadaen Madrid en 1667, y que ahora con la colaboracion del p. Pablo Pastells … sacanuevamente ¡ luz W. E. Retana. Madrid: [Viuda de M. Minuesa de los Rios]5. Krieger, H. W. (1926). The collection of primitive weapons and armor of the Philippineislands in the United States National museum. Washington: Govt. Print. Off..6. Macao Museum of Art. (2007). History of Steel in East Asia. Macao Museum of Art. MacauDetailed condition reports are not included in this catalog. For additional information, including condition reports, please contact us at [email protected]
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