Cleveland Museum of Art

Sword (Kalis or Sundang) and scabbard

Date

before 1916

Medium

Blade: metal with brass inlay; grip: cord; pommel: silver

Culture

Philippines, Mindanao

Department

Oceania

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

This sword has a straight kalis blade with squared shoulders, a long central fuller, and an engraved chevron-and-scroll pattern above the guard. The wing guards at the base of the blade are held in place by two asang-asang (fish gill) clamps. The hilt terminates with a silver cockatoo ( kakatua )-shaped pommel. Silver pommels of this type are associated with elite datu owners. Silver pommels are uncommon in Philippine swords, as silver had to be sourced from abroad (typically China).

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