Post by LongBlade on Jun 2, 2010 22:42:58 GMT -5
Exhibit features barong sword from Philippines
By Rosenberg Library
The Galveston Daily News
May 31, 2010
galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=9f6eb034b7112c0c
GALVESTON — The Rosenberg Library Museum will display a unique barong sword as the June Treasure of the Month.
The barong sword — also spelled barung — is a historically common weapon used in the Philippines.
It is a short, wide, leaf-shaped sword with a single-edged blade. The basic components of the barong are the blade and the hilt, with the hilt composed of the grip and the pummel.
The artifact featured during the month of June was pierced by a bullet during skirmishes after the Philippine-American War and is part of the John C. Walker Jr. Collection, accumulated by Lt. Walker while he was stationed in the Philippines during 1912-14.
The collection was donated to the library by Carol Walker Cameron in 1971.
In the spring of 1911, Lt. John C. Walker Jr. was one of four students to attend the first military school of aviation in the United States, the Glenn H. Curtiss School of Aviation at North Island, San Diego, Calif.
He was later stationed in Parang, Philippine Islands, where skirmishes between government and armed troops still ensued after the Philippine-American War.
The barong on display was collected in 1914 by Lt. Walker. The sword has one bullet hole in the center of the blade and has the indentation of another bullet closer to the edge.
The barong sword is one of several significant weapons of the Moros in the southern Philippines. The blade of the barong is very thick, heavy and generally tends to range from 18 to 24 inches long.
This combination makes the sword highly effective at slicing and chopping a variety of objects. It has become legendary for being able to cut through the barrels of muskets and rifles, including M-14 rifles, making the Moro a formidable opponent.
The handle of the sword, known as the hilt, commonly has a silver or brass sleeve, which is lacquered with braided fiber rings that create an excellent grip and allow for better control over the weapon.
Its classically shaped down-turned handle makes it appear similar to a machete. The hilts of barong swords used by nobles were made of ivory, water buffalo horn, or Philippine ebony.
The common design of the hilt was crafted in the shape of a cockatoo, but several are known to have serpent characteristics.
The counterweight of the hilt is called a pummel. Most barong pummels tend to be made from a local wood called banati or rosewood.
The Moros, a Muslim Filipino group, live primarily in the South Philippines on the Sulu Archipelago, an island chain between the Philippines and the Island of Borneo.
The term “Moro” stems from Spanish control of the Philippine Islands and is the Spanish term for all Islamic groups.
Moorish is the term applied by the Spanish to Islamic influences and decorative styles throughout Spain, Portugal and the Philippine Islands.
The Treasure of the Month is located on the mezzanine level of the library at 2310 Sealy Ave. It can be viewed from 9:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.
Here's what one looks like (Not the same one):
By Rosenberg Library
The Galveston Daily News
May 31, 2010
galvestondailynews.com/story.lasso?ewcd=9f6eb034b7112c0c
GALVESTON — The Rosenberg Library Museum will display a unique barong sword as the June Treasure of the Month.
The barong sword — also spelled barung — is a historically common weapon used in the Philippines.
It is a short, wide, leaf-shaped sword with a single-edged blade. The basic components of the barong are the blade and the hilt, with the hilt composed of the grip and the pummel.
The artifact featured during the month of June was pierced by a bullet during skirmishes after the Philippine-American War and is part of the John C. Walker Jr. Collection, accumulated by Lt. Walker while he was stationed in the Philippines during 1912-14.
The collection was donated to the library by Carol Walker Cameron in 1971.
In the spring of 1911, Lt. John C. Walker Jr. was one of four students to attend the first military school of aviation in the United States, the Glenn H. Curtiss School of Aviation at North Island, San Diego, Calif.
He was later stationed in Parang, Philippine Islands, where skirmishes between government and armed troops still ensued after the Philippine-American War.
The barong on display was collected in 1914 by Lt. Walker. The sword has one bullet hole in the center of the blade and has the indentation of another bullet closer to the edge.
The barong sword is one of several significant weapons of the Moros in the southern Philippines. The blade of the barong is very thick, heavy and generally tends to range from 18 to 24 inches long.
This combination makes the sword highly effective at slicing and chopping a variety of objects. It has become legendary for being able to cut through the barrels of muskets and rifles, including M-14 rifles, making the Moro a formidable opponent.
The handle of the sword, known as the hilt, commonly has a silver or brass sleeve, which is lacquered with braided fiber rings that create an excellent grip and allow for better control over the weapon.
Its classically shaped down-turned handle makes it appear similar to a machete. The hilts of barong swords used by nobles were made of ivory, water buffalo horn, or Philippine ebony.
The common design of the hilt was crafted in the shape of a cockatoo, but several are known to have serpent characteristics.
The counterweight of the hilt is called a pummel. Most barong pummels tend to be made from a local wood called banati or rosewood.
The Moros, a Muslim Filipino group, live primarily in the South Philippines on the Sulu Archipelago, an island chain between the Philippines and the Island of Borneo.
The term “Moro” stems from Spanish control of the Philippine Islands and is the Spanish term for all Islamic groups.
Moorish is the term applied by the Spanish to Islamic influences and decorative styles throughout Spain, Portugal and the Philippine Islands.
The Treasure of the Month is located on the mezzanine level of the library at 2310 Sealy Ave. It can be viewed from 9:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.
Here's what one looks like (Not the same one):