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Sword (Barong)
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
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 hilt terminates in an exceptionally long ivory cockatoo ( kakatua ) pommel, carved with delicate okir scrollwork. This was an object of authority, status, and ceremonial presence within Tausug culture, probably owned by a member of the datu ruling class.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineSword (Barong), before 1916. Philippines, Mindanao, Sulu Archipelago. Blade: metal; handle: metal with silver foil and repoussé work; pommel: ivory and carabao horn; overall: 65.5 cm (25 13/16 in.); blade: 42.2 cm (16 5/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of J. H. Wade, 1916.729
