Sword (Barong)
1850–1916
- Medium
- Blade: metal inlaid with brass; handle: metal with silver foil, braided wire, and repoussé work; pommel: kamagong hardwood with bone inlay
- Dimensions
- Overall: 68.3 cm (26 7/8 in.); Blade: 45.5 cm (17 15/16 in.)
- Genre
- Arms and armor
- Museum
- Cleveland Museum of Art
Styles
Tags
Philippines, Sulu or Basilan
About
This sword’s hilt is carved from a dense Philippine hardwood known as kamagong and takes the form of a stylized cockatoo (kakatua), a motif characteristic of Tausug and Yakan sword hilts. Its broad, leaf-shaped steel blade is single-edged at the base and double-edged near the tip, making it ideal for thrusting in both warfare and ceremony.