Sword (Kampilan) (before 1916): Art, History and Details

Sword (Kampilan) (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 features a long, straight, single-edged steel blade that widens near the tip. The hilt is carved from dark hardwood and takes the shape of a stylized zoomorphic figure, possibly a bird, buwaya (crocodile), or naga. The materials, carving style, and blade form correspond to kampilan-type swords made among the Maranao and Maguindanao people of northern and central Mindanao.

Object facts

• Title: Sword (Kampilan)
• Date: before 1916
• Culture: Philippines, Mindanao
• Type: Arms and Armor
• Technique: Blade: forged steel; handle: wood with braided cane cord
• Dimensions: Overall: 95.3 x 14.2 cm (37 1/2 x 5 9/16 in.); Blade: 71.6 x 4.6 cm (28 3/16 x 1 13/16 in.)
• Collection: Oceanic Art
• Department: Oceania
• Accession number: 1916.752

A detail from the museum

The kampilan was both a functional weapon and a symbol of warrior status.

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.