Campilan sword

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Images

Map    National Anthropology Museum Madrid

Publisher

National Anthropology Museum Madrid

Date

19th century

Identifier

CE1572

Origin

Mindanao (island), Philippines, Southeast Asia

Connection to Philippines

Maguindanao origin

Materials

blade: iron
handle: wood
rope: bejuco fibre
ornament: horsehair
techniques: blade: cast, hilt: carved

Physical Dimensions

handle: length = 29 cm, width = 16 cm
sword: length = 110 cm
blade: width = 6.50 cm

Short description

Sword with iron blade and carved wooden handle. It is a heavy sword that had to be used with both hands. Its carved wooden handle evokes the open mouth of a naga, a fundamental decorative form among Muslim groups that symbolizes a serpent or dragon, and is also a male symbol; of Hindu origin, it is spread throughout Southeast Asia. This type of weapon is typical of the Moorish groups of Mindanao, mainly the Magindanao.

Acknowledgements

Photos by Javier Rodríguez Barrera and Arantxa Boyero Lirón

Collection

National Anthropology Museum Madrid

Cite this Page

“Campilan sword,” Mapping Philippine Material Culture, accessed April 20, 2024, https://philippinestudies.uk/mapping/items/show/28094.

Geolocation

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