PRIMITIVE WEAPONS AND ARMOR OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 83 



Collected by Captain Lewis, of the bark Java and presented to 

 the Wilkes Expedition. 1838. (PI. 13. No. 6.) (Cat. No. 3897, 

 U.S.N.M. 



Malay latninated dagger. — The blade is typicalty kris shaped, hav- 

 ing four wavy crests on either of the two cutting; edges. The com- 

 position of the iron metal of the blade is low grade, containing much 

 carbon ; the blade is soft and has a poor temper. The median ridge 

 is marked, but the places of juncture of the hammered iron rods 

 of which the blade is formed are phiinly visible. The blade is 

 narrow and tapered. The proximal end has an ornamental head- 

 piece chiseled at its posterior edge resembling a human head. The 

 guard piece is distinct from the blade and is fitted over the iron 

 tang which is hafted into the ivory handle. The carving, which 

 covers the entire surface of the ivory handle, is beautiful; coloring 

 ranges from a clear white to a delicate shade of amber. The carv- 

 ing as a whole is in the Javanese style and represents some animal 

 or reptilian figure such as occurs on many of the older Malay dagger 

 handles similar to No. 326067, U.S.N.M., No. 255889, U.S.N.M., and 

 No. 3897, U.S.N.M. The scabbard is composed of three pieces and 

 resembles that of No. 3897, U.S.N.M. 



Length of blade, 31.5 centimeters (12.4 inches). Collected by the 

 Admiral Wilkes exploring expedition. (PI. 13, No. 5.) Cat. No. 

 3896, U.S.N.M. 



Malay dagger., Dyak^ southeast Botiieo. — This blade is not from 

 the Philippines, but was collected from the region of the Pasir 

 River, southeast Borneo. The resemblance to the flame-shaped dag- 

 gers of the Moro and of the Javanese is striking. Similarity of 

 design is also apparent in the curved hardwood handle with its 

 animal figure carving, in the form of scabbard, in the distinct guard 

 piece, in the chiseled ornamentation of the anterior edge of the 

 blade at enlarged sector just below the guard, and in the juncture 

 lines of the component iron rods of which the blade is composed. 

 The juncture lines have been laminated into a beautiful decorative 

 design by steeping the blade in lime juice which corroded the edges, 

 forming a fantastic outline in striated parallel lines, in concentric 

 circles of irregular outline, and many other shapes. 



Length of blade, 38.5 centimeters (15.2 inches). Collected by Dr. 

 W. L. Abbott. (PI. 13, No. 8.) 



Dagger. — The blade of this serpentine dagger is characteristically 

 Moro, and has three wave crests reaching from the proximal end 

 to the middle of blade. The point is straight. The blade is of well- 

 tempered steel. Spanish influence may be noted in the silver guard, 

 each end of which terminates in an ornamental cross. The ferrule 

 has been incorporated at its center, through which passes the tang 



