PRIMITIVE WEAPONS AND ARMOR OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 103 



inches). Collected by the Philippine Island Commission, Louisiana 

 Purchase Exposition. (PI. 1.) Cat. No. 235245, U.S.N.M. 



Rawhide shield^ Bikol^ Masbate Island. — The employment of hides 

 as shields is rare in the Philippines and is usually limited to the Moro. 

 This shield accompanies a suit of armor consisting of helmet and cui- 

 rass of rawhide described under the caption " armor." The hide of a 

 water buffalo {Bubalus bu/felus), or carabao, has been cut in roughly 

 quadrangular form and the corners rounded. The hair lias been 

 partially removed from the obverse; to the reverse have been at- 

 tached two semicircular arm-handle grips of the curved roots of a 

 tree. The ends of each handle grip have been flattened so as to 

 lie flat against the reverse side of the shield; they are fastened 

 with a two-ply cord of abaca fiber of native manufacture which is 

 passed through perforations in the body and looped over the ends 

 of the arm grip. This type of arm grip is usual in the circular 

 Malayan shields. The entire shield is crudely made and obviously 

 does not represent the best production of the workmanship of the 

 Bikol. 



Diameter of shield circumference, 53.5 centimeters (31 inches). 

 Collected by Gen. James M. Bell, United States Volunteers. Cat. 

 No. 209350/ U.S.N.M. (PI. 1.) 



Circular shield, Bagoho, Mindanao. — Formed from one piece of 

 light-weight wood, hollowed on the reverse, convex on the obverse; 

 the double hand grips carved out of the solid are slanted toward 

 one another in semilunar projections; one is fitted for the insertion 

 of the forearm, the other serves as a hand grip. The grip section is 

 polished through use. Carving on the reverse consists of buttresses 

 or extensions at both ends of the tAvo handle grips extending to the 

 outer-rim circumference; the carving in low relief gradually be- 

 comes more prominent until terminating in the hand gri]) itself. 

 Along the borders of the pilastering are incised rickrack patterns. 

 The obverse side is banded with encircling strips of black paint. 

 Between the painted bands and bordering the same are incised rick- 

 rack patterns. The boss is but slightly elevated above the convex 

 surface of the body. The shield is an old specimen. 



Length of diameter of shield, 70 centimeters (27.5 inches). Col- 

 lected by the Misses E. H. and S. S. Metcalf. Cat. No. 286246, 

 U.S.N.M. (PL 1.) 



Circular hardwood shield, Moro, Mindanao. — ^With the exception 

 of the boss, which is inset with a glass button, the entire shield, in- 

 cluding the grip, is cut out of the solid. Like all circular shields of 

 the southern Philippine Islands, the obverse is convex and the re- 

 verse has been hollowed. The grip is circular and has four pedestal 

 supports, giving it an elevation sufficient for the insertion of the 



