Very Good 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 wood or horn, sometimes silver covered and with a pommel shaped as a grotesque monster head with a long beak.

The Tenegre exemplar here, probably from Panay Island exhibit these features: 22 inches beveled blade, finely carved whole horn handle and a steel bolster. Round wood cross guard. Total length 28 inches. Very good condition. Minor damage to the cross guard. A sword meant for hard work.

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