Sword (Barong)
1850–1916
- Medium
- Blade: metal; grip: silver; handle: wood with ivory inlay
- Dimensions
- Overall: 59.8 cm (23 9/16 in.); Blade: 38.1 cm (15 in.)
- Genre
- Arms and armor
- Museum
- Cleveland Museum of Art
Styles
Tags
Philippines, Mindanao
About
This sword has a broad, leaf-shaped blade characteristic of the Sulu Archipelago. Its profile suggests it was used for powerful cut-and-slash fighting. The hilt, carved from kamagong hardwood, terminates in an elongated ivory cockatoo (kakatua) pommel. Decorative ivory inlay is embedded into the kamagong surface, forming geometric and dotted patterns that follow the natural curves of the hilt.