Collection record · Objects & craft
Sword (Kalis or Sundang)
The collection record classifies this work as arms and armor. It is dated before 1916. Recorded culture or place: Philippines, Mindanao.
Explore the object recordOBJECT RECORD
A closer look at the details.
- Museum title
- Sword (Kalis or Sundang)
- Date
- before 1916
- Culture / origin
- Philippines, Mindanao
- Materials and technique
- Blade: metal; grip: brass ferrule and silver wire; pommel: ivory
- Dimensions
- 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.)
- Artist / maker
- Not specified by the museum
- Museum
- The Cleveland Museum of Art
- Accession number
- 1916.744
FROM THE MUSEUM
In the museum’s words
The following description is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art’s original English record.
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.
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Text and image sources
The Cleveland Museum of Art · Gift of J. H. Wade · CC0
The summary is based on public collection data. Refer to the museum’s latest record for the title, date and attribution.
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