Cleveland Museum of Art

Sword (Barong)

Date

c. 1800s

Medium

Blade: steel; handle: silver with braided wire; pommel: ivory with carabao horn inlay

Culture

Philippines

Department

Oceania

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

This sword has a broad, leaf-shaped blade characteristic of the Sulu Archipelago. Its profile suggests it was used for powerful cut-and-slash fighting. The ivory pommel, inlaid with black hardwood, takes the form of a stylized cockatoo ( kakatua ). This feature, along with the finely worked horn grip, indicates that this was a prestige weapon owned by a member of the warrior nobility. The grip is made of carabao horn, a draft animal similar to the water buffalo.

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