Item:
ON13485

Original Philippines Late 19th Century to Early 20th Century Kampilan Single Edged Sword and Scabbard

Item Description

Original Item: Only One Available. The kampilan also known as talong is a type of single-edged sword, traditionally used by various ethnic groups in the Philippine archipelago. It has a distinct profile, with the tapered blade being much broader and thinner at the point than at its base, sometimes with a protruding spikelet along the flat side of the tip. The design of the pommel varies between ethnic groups, but it usually depicts a kakatua (cockatoo) but this one is a crocodile.

"Kampilan" is the term most commonly used for the sword in the Tagalog, Ilocano and Visayan languages. It simply means "sword". It is known by other names in other ethnic groups in the Philippines including Kapampangan talibong or talibon (not to be confused with the Visayan talibon); Maranao kifing; Iranun parang kampilan; and Tboli tok and kafilan.

Among Filipino swords, the most distinguishing characteristic of the kampilan is its huge size. At about 36 to 40 inches (90 to 100 cm) long, it is much larger than other Filipino swords, and is thought to be the longest, though smaller versions (sometimes called the "kampilan bolo") exist. A notable exception would be the panabas, another Philippine longsword, of which unusually large examples used for ceremonial execution purposes could measure up to four feet in length. This example would be considered the bolo version due to the fact the total length is approximately 30 inches.

The blade is narrow near the hilt and it gradually swells in width into an almost trapezoidal profile at the end. The blades are often laminated with various styles of tip. Kampílan blades often have holes near the tip that are sometimes filled with brass. Rarer still are specimens that have tips exhibiting a kris-like fretwork, while others have engravings down the entire blade. Although the kampílan can be used with one hand, it is primarily a two-handed sword.

This example is in great condition with lovely mother of pearl inlay in both the hilt and wood scabbard. There are the expected nicks on the sword’s edge but nothing too damaging and nothing that subtracts from the beauty of it. The blade does have staining present on the material but that is expected given the age and the type of metal used for making the sword.

This is truly a masterpiece of craftsmanship and the details are just beautiful. This is a sword that would be difficult to upgrade from. Comes more than ready for further research and display.

  • This product is available for international shipping.
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