Important Collection of Antique Asian Arms
Lot 8:
An interesting sword from the Visayan group the garab is a typical weapon fromthe islands of Samar or Leyte. The swords have a distinct form with a crescent shaped blade flaton one side and sharpened with a convex edge on the other side. The blade often with a heavythickness and with a center of balance near the edge due to the weight of the blade.The other identifying stylistic features include the pommel of the hilt which always has a three-lobedcarving that resembles a flower bud flanked with leaves. The wood used in these swords isusually from the kamagong tree, known in English as the butter fruit or ironwood, the fruits ofwhich are related to persimmons. These swords were considered to be the favored weapon of theDios-Dios cult, also known as the Pulajanes. The Pulajanes were the members of a religiousrevival of Philippine beliefs that developed in the Visayas prior to the Philippine Revolution.As the Visayas were primarily Christian, the Pulajanes threatened the Christianization of theisland and at their peak, numbered around 10,000 – 15,000 adherents. The movement wasexterminated during the Philippine Revolution after the Philippine Constabulary took overpatrols in Samar, after the U.S. military declared the island as "pacified".This example in the Schmiedt Collection has a finely carved native wood hilt with floral decoration and thetri-lobed pommel, with the classic form blade, with a heavy belly. 19th-early 20th century.Total Length (inside scabbard if present) : 24 1/4" Blade Length : 18"References:1. Krieger, H. (1926) The Collection of Primitive Weapons and Armor of the PhilippineIslands in the United States National Museum. Smithsonian Institution; United StatesNational Museum, Bulletin 1372. Macau Museum of Art. (2007). History of Steel in Eastern Asiaâ€â€œA View on theDevelopment of Weaponry. Macau Museum of Art.3. Cato, R. (1996) Moro swords. Graham Brash: Singapore Detailed condition reports are not included in this catalog. For additional information, including condition reports, please contact us at [email protected]
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