T'BOLI KAMPILAN 2
 

Hi all,

Here's the other T'boli kampilan with the more 'traditional' square scabbard.
What strikes me are the features that it has 'beads' AND round glass on the scabbard.

Are the 'beads' typical for t'boli? or is it possible that this piece may be of another lumad tribe?

Is/are there any signifcance to the beads and glass? Are they simply accoutrements for purpose of adornment?

Note: the half-crescent design along the blade.


Regards

Yves

Hi Yves.

Nice traditional T'boli tok with a typical cast brass hilt plus chains and hawk bells, as well as a traditional carved rectangular scabbard with some bead work. The blade has a lot of crescent shapes, but I don't see any brass inserts that are sometimes present just below the spine of the blade where it bends towards the tip. Your pictures were a little dark to see the details, so I adjusted them a bit. Hope you don't mind.


Ian

Nice to have all the bells on. Some of these are missing bells.

Tboli
 

Hello,
Just a few quick notes on the chain-link and bells on Tboli hilts. The ‘loops’ at the end of the hilts were certainly created to attach adornments like chain links and bells. However we should always remember that these are easily detached and replaced. Neither chain links nor bells are hard to find, though nice old bells worn smooth with time and use are more difficult. Also please notice the links themselves. They often look like little washers - because that’s usually exactly what they are. Tboli brass casters created their own lengths of brass wire by a technique of pulling the metal through successively smaller holes. The finished product looks just like a nice thick piece of brass wire, not flattened like a washer.