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Sword (Kalis or Sundang)
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
This sword features a long kalis blade with a straight profile and deep fuller running nearly the entire length. The hilt terminates in an enormous ivory pommel, a prestige marker associated with high-ranking ownership in the Sulu and Lake Lanao regions. The commanding blade, functional and symbolic clamps, silver-braided grip, and pommel identify this as an exceptional example of elite Moro weaponry used among the Tausug or Maranao groups in the southern Philippines.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineSword (Kalis or Sundang), before 1916. Philippines, Mindanao. Blade: metal; grip: brass ferrule and silver wire; pommel: ivory; overall: 79.8 cm (31 7/16 in.); blade: 60.4 x 3.9 cm (23 3/4 x 1 9/16 in.); handle: 18 x 20 x 7.8 cm (7 1/16 x 7 7/8 x 3 1/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of J. H. Wade, 1916.744
