Set Of Ethnographical Moro Mindanao Philippines XIX Swords

Pair of ethnographic bladed weapons Moro Mindanao Philippines late XIX . The large leaf-shaped blade is a classic Barung. It is the signature weapon of the Tausug, Samal and Yakan peoples of the Sulu archipelago. It features a thick, heavy and single-edge blade, enhanced by its iconic leaf-shaped silhouette designed for devastating cutting power. The handle features a stylized jungayan hilt, carved from dark hard wood to resemble a stylized cockatoo or a mythical bird’s head. The long sleeve (ferrule) near the blade is wrapped in silver, indicating that it belonged to someone of high rank. The long straight-bladed sword is a Kalis (often called Moro Kris). Unlike the Indonesian krisses, which are generally smaller daggers, the moro kalis are normal-sized combat swords. Beautiful floral or geometric engravings stylized in silver are embedded in the steel. These weapons were designed for extreme, head-to-head and close combat. They are perfectly sized and weighted to navigate the dense jungle and narrow ships where long western swords would get stuck in the underbrush.  Since there are no silver mines in this part of the Philippines, the silver for these weapons comes from piracy of Spanish coins.