Sword (Kalis or Sundang) (before 1916): Art, History and Details

Sword (Kalis or Sundang) (before 1916) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

This sword’s blade is straight near the tip and transitions into gentle undulations toward the lower half. Fine inlaid geometric and floral motifs run along the central ridge. The ivory pommel takes the form of a cockatoo (kakatua), a high-status motif in southern Philippine weaponry. The curving blade form, intricate inlay, and ivory pommel make this a prestige weapon.

Object facts

• Title: Sword (Kalis or Sundang)
• Date: before 1916
• Culture: Philippines, Mindanao
• Type: Arms and Armor
• Technique: Metal blade with ivory pommel and cord-wound grip
• Dimensions: Overall: 70.2 cm (27 5/8 in.); Blade: 56.9 cm (22 3/8 in.)
• Collection: Oceanic Art
• Department: Oceania
• Accession number: 1916.715

A detail from the museum

The part wavy, part straight blade form is known as a kalis taluseko.

Collection credit

Gift of J. H. Wade

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.