Philippine weapons of offense and defense

Spears, lances, and halberds. Bows, arrows, and arrow cases. Blowguns, darts, and dart cases. Clubbed weapons and shields. Hand weapons for piercing and stabbing. Bolos. Cutting and slashing blades. Swords for cutting and chopping. Beheading swords. Head axes. Straight and wavy krisses. Circular shields for parrying and targets. Oblong, pronged, clubbed, and tufted shields of hollowed wood. Body. armor of horn, hide, cordage, and fiber construction.

Slashing and Chopping Blades: Kampilan and Talibong

1. Straight-edged steel kampilan, captured by the expedition under Capt. J. J. Pershing, 1903. Moro, Lake Lanao, Mindanao.

2. Curved and spiked steel talibong. Bagobo, Mindanao.

3. Curved and spiked talibong (grass cutter). Moro, Lake Lanao, northern Mindanao.

4. Kampilan blade with arabesque (floriated) etching on blade surfaces. Moro, Lake Lanao region, northern Mindanao.

Basketry Bolo Cases and Knife Sheaths

1. Basketry parang and bolo scabbard. Rattan splints woven in hexagonal openwork at sides; framework of rattan. Basilan Island, Sulu Archipelago.

2. Combined knife sheath and reticule. Made from multiple folds of bast fiber; suspension cord of abaca. Batak, Palawan Island.

3. Bamboo bolo case. Cylindrical joint of bamboo with one end plugged with a split wooden disk; bound with braided rattan. Batak, Palawan Island,

4. Basketry bolo case made of woven rattan with wood base; suspension cord with belt attachment. Basilan Island.

Two-handed Chopping and Cutting Parangs

1. Heavy steel beheading blade "tabas." Curved and truncated like a scimitar; long curved double-handle grip wrapped with braided rattan and inlaid with lime. Moro, Malabang, Mindanao.

2. Heavy chopping blade "talibong," double sigmoid curve. Two-handed carved wooden handle hooped with brass bands. Moro, Mindanao.

3. Headsman's ax "talibong." Moro, western Mindanao.

4. Beheading sword and chopping blade "talibong." Heavy double-edged curved blade. Moro, Mindanao.

5. Heavy two-edged blade with sigmoid curve. Hexagonal wooden handle curved and wound with rattan splints. Moro, Mindanao.

6. Broad backed, deeply concave blade "pirah." Convexly curved cutting edge and long point. Elbow at base of blade near guard piece similar to the parang-latok of the Dyaks of Borneo; figured wood handle provided with symbolic recurved horns and median spike. Southern and Visayan Islands.

Head Axes. Primitive Malayan and Indonesian tribes of north central Luzon

1. Head-hunter's axe. Hardwood handle ferruled and shod with silver and brass bands. Kalinga, north central Luzon.

2. Head ax. Made of iron with bowed back and crescentic cutting edge; metal tang set in hardwood handle provided with long, hourglass-shape iron ferrule; handle equipped with carved hand-fitting grip and spur extension for hand support; plain surfaced. Kalinga, north central Luzon.

The barong: Specialized Ornamental Parang Types

1. Lanceolate shape broad-backed steel blade of exceptional excellence; hardwood handle grip sheathed with silver; pommel fashioned of dugong ivory in ornamental pattern of scrolls and fretwork; characteristic flat-surfaced hardwood scabbard. Moro, Mindanao.

2. Lanceolate broad-backed blade; handle shod with ferruled silver bands and silver-braided wire; scrolled hardwood pommel. Presented to President Theodore Roosevelt by the Samal Moro, Basilan Island.

The Bolo: Combination Piercing and Chopping Weapons; Agricultural Knives and Jungle Tools

1. Curved blade of steel with flattened surface on inner side and median ridge on beveled outer surface; octagonal hardwood handle. Tagalog, central Luzon.

2. Bolo with steel blade point broken off. Handle consists of elaborately carved carabao horn. Luzon.

3. Broad-backed steel blade provided with convex cutting edge; handle completely shod with figured brass. Bagobo, southern Mindanao.

4. Bolo having chased iron blade inlaid with soft metal; beautifully carved carabao-horn handle. Cebu, Visayan Islands.

5. Boy's barong; small elliptic steel blade; carved hardwood handle ferruled with silver bands and braided silver cord. Taken in 1913 at Mount Talipao, Mindanao.

6. Steel blade, "pirah" acutely pointed and convexly curved; provided with sharp downward curve near handle similar to the Malayan parang-latok; hardwood handle equipped with symbolic recurved horns and spike. Cebu, Visayan Islands.

7. Concavo-convex grooved steel blade; brass-shod handle and guard spike. Bagobo, southern Mindanao.

8. Kampilan-bolo type; chain ornament on hardwood pommel. Bagobo, southeastern Mindanao.

9. Grotesque totemic or wyang carving on wood handle; circular guard of wood; old type of Malay weapon. Panay, Visayan Islands.

10. Pirah. Cutting edge of blade has sweeping convex curve; heavy, concave blade back; truncated slope at point; handle fashioned of carabao horn and provided with long extension arm support. Moro, Basilan Island.

1. Dagger; triangular sectioned, curved, and pointed blade; single cutting edge; carved wood handle. Quinapundar, Samar Island.

2. Dagger "bala-rao"; hastate shape double-edged blade; handle provided with a peculiar finger-fitting grip consisting of extended tang and two horns; silver ferrule at center. Chief defense weapon of the Mandayan, southeastern Mindanao.

3. Woman's knife. Blade curved, designed for striking a slanting blow. Bagobo, southeastern Mindanao.

4. Plain dirk-dagger having curved blade, ferruled wooden handle, and circular guard. Moro, Mindanao.

5. Serpentine Malay dagger; grotesque dugong ivory carving on hilt. Collected by the United States exploring expedition, 1838-1842, under Admiral Wilkes.

6. Malay dagger; curved wooden pistol shape hilt; characteristic serpentine figure carving; straight-edged blade. Wilkes exploring expedition.

7. Serpentine kris-dagger; plain horn handle; engraved circular silver guard and ferrule. Moro, Mindanao.

8. Malay dagger; laminated blade; figured and carved handle of wood. Dyak, Pasir River, southeast Borneo.

9. Punal de kris; blade chased on surface section near handle; wood handle set in socketed brass ferrule. Moro, Mindanao.

10. Dagger; curved, double-edged blade; curved plain wood handle. Moro, Mindanao.

11. Dagger having saberlike blade; metal guard provided with volute tips; carved wood handle; blade chased and inlaid with soft metal at back. Moro, Jolo.

12. Dagger; serpentine blade; metal cross guard; spiral fluted grip of Camagon wood.

13. "Insurrecto" sword-dagger chased blade, pointed and double edged; cross guard; horn handle inlaid with shell mosaic; symbolically figured pommel.

Wavy and Straight-Edged Kris Swords. Moro, Mindanao, and Sulu Archipelago

1. Old type of serpentine grooved blade provided with ornamental guard piece and sword breaker fastened with single stirrup; round wooden grip covered with bands of braided rattan. Moro, Mindanao.

2. Datto's kris, of recent production; blade inlaid with sinuous, dragonlike pattern in yellow metal; grip of wood. Lake Lanao, Moro, Mindanao.

3. Serpentine blade inlaid with figured patterns in yellow brass; improvised handle of wood. Moro, Mindanao.

4. Long, tapering serpentine blade; curved guard of silver; elaborately carved horn handle. Kris type showing Spanish influence.

5. Slightly sinuous steel blade; handle wrapped with braided waxed cord on grip section; carved pommel of sea cow ivory; plain old-style wood scabbard. Moro.

6. Straight-edged, slightly curved blade; handle covered with braided cord bands which also serve to fasten spiked stirrup extension for fastening guard and handle to blade. Moro.

7. Serpentine blade; hardwood handle overlaid with banded sheet silver and braided silver cord; crutch-shaped pommel of solid silver. Jolo Island.

8. Serpentine blade; grooved and inlaid with gold metal; single stirrup; wood handle banded with silver and wrapped with silver braid; carved cockatoo-shape ivory pommel. Admiral Wilkes exploring expedition, 1838 -1842.

9. Straight-edged blade, etched and inlaid with copper; wrapped plain flat wood handle.

10. Very old type of grooved flame-shaped blade; symbolically carved ivory figurine on pommel; three-sectioned wood scabbard. Collected by the expedition under Capt. J. J. Pershing, 1903. Lake Lanao, Mindanao.

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