Very Fine Tenegre Sword, Panay, Visayan

Bolo swords from Visayan are characterized by their heavy blades, widest at the last third of the blade and usually with chiseled edge. It gives the sword a very good hold and balance. The handle is Ivory, wood or horn, sometimes silver covered and with a pommel shaped as a grotesque monster head with a long beak.

The fine and exceptional Tenegre exemplar here, probably from Panay Island exhibit these features: The  heavy blade edge as well as the down dropping back edge are deeply beveled. Both edges are heat hardened. The handle is most delicately carved from what looks like whale bone (a rare material but sometimes used for swords handle  in the Philippines). Steel covered collar and round horn cross guard. The wood scabbard is covered with sectors of tortuous shell and bound with a leather band at the top.

Blade 19 Inches. Total 25 inches. Very good condition. The top of the scabbard is restored.

Provenance: IFICAH International Foundation of Indonesian Culture and Asian Heritage, Hollenstedt (Germany)

For a similar sword see: Bulletin 137 of the Smithsonian institution , Herbert H. Kreiger “THE COLLECTION OF PRIMITIVE WEAPONS AND ARMOR OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS IN THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM” plate 12 item 9

Price: On request