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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, carved from kamagong hardwood, terminates in an elongated ivory cockatoo ( kakatua ) pommel. Decorative ivory inlay is embedded into the kamagong surface, forming geometric and dotted patterns that follow the natural curves of the hilt.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineSword (Barong), before 1918. Philippines, Mindanao. Blade: metal; grip: silver; handle: wood with ivory inlay; overall: 59.8 cm (23 9/16 in.); blade: 38.1 cm (15 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of J. H. Wade, 1918.644
