My Maguindanao Kris

kai · 1st February 2023, 10:39 PM

Hello Milandro,

Your blade does strike me as certain 20th century blade: the waves are quite pointy and the base features with no apparent wear; also stylistically the thick gandik side does look quite modern (at a high level of craftsmanship for any later period though!).

If I had to guess, I'd expect this to be an engraved "separation" line rather than real: The bold line (of consistent width and wide even for worn blades) and an invisible line at the distal greneng is a bit much to swallow, I'm afraid. As already pointed out, this is not a definite time indicator though.

All fittings are typical for what got exported from Mindanao during the late 20th and early 21st centuries (often via Davao or Manila); presumably mostly Maranao work. They did this restoration/upgrading with whatever pieces became available: Certain antiques, vintage, more recent and apparently also new blades. The wooden pommel looks pretty good - while I tend towards a modern origin, I can't rule out a fully refurbished older piece from the pics. I understand that quite some of these pieces were for local use and not only export.

Regards,
Kai

1st February 2023, 10:39 PM	#12
kai Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 3,255	Hello Milandro, Your blade does strike me as certain 20th century blade: the waves are quite pointy and the base features with no apparent wear; also stylistically the thick gandik side does look quite modern (at a high level of craftsmanship for any later period though!). If I had to guess, I'd expect this to be an engraved "separation" line rather than real: The bold line (of consistent width and wide even for worn blades) and an invisible line at the distal greneng is a bit much to swallow, I'm afraid. As already pointed out, this is not a definite time indicator though. All fittings are typical for what got exported from Mindanao during the late 20th and early 21st centuries (often via Davao or Manila); presumably mostly Maranao work. They did this restoration/upgrading with whatever pieces became available: Certain antiques, vintage, more recent and apparently also new blades. The wooden pommel looks pretty good - while I tend towards a modern origin, I can't rule out a fully refurbished older piece from the pics. I understand that quite some of these pieces were for local use and not only export. Regards, Kai