The suburban citizen., 1902-01-18
THE FLLIPINO'S CUNNING
SKILL AND REAL ART ~
NATIVE KNIVES.

Headsman's Blade - To Fit the "Tala-
bong's" Curve Scabbard is Designed
Filipino ingenuity and character are
revealed at the National Museum at
Washington in a new collection OIL
hunting and fishing implements, head
gear, musical instruments and Weap- |
ons of warfare.
The natives Of the Philippine group |
have developed TO a very high degree
the use of rattan, bamboo, vegetable
fibre and palm leaves in the manufac-
ture of dozens of miscellaneous artl-
cles. Rattan is pleated and woven
into hats, arrow quivers, scabbards Tor
swords and knives, and umbrellas.
Bamboo is fashioned into telescope
fishing rods, water and wine bottles
covers for the swords Of executioners
and blowpipes. Palml leaves are shaped
into q score OF designs-into dippers,
water proof hats, torches and other ar
ticles. The native has apparently
found in the vegetable growths OF his
dwelling place material to supply all
his demands except the need for iron.
Possibly the most prominent feature
Of the collection is a group Of halt
dozen "talabongs," or headsmans
axes. They are huge knives, three
feet long or more, curved like a scimi-
tar reversed. In order the better to
strike the unfortunate victims neck
this curve is irregular-wide at the two
eads and acute in the middle. 1t is
impossible, of course, to, slide such an
eccentric curve into scabbard, but
the Philippine headsmen have over
come that difficulty easily. Two pieces
Of bamboo, shaped like the scimltar
and fiat on the side nearest the blade,
have been Joined together along one
edge with a hber which is little elias
tic. Separating these two slabs OF
wood the swordsman can slip his blade
into it from one side and from the end
The fiber at the outside joint holds The
bamboo closely to the knife, open only
at one end.
Among the army officers this need
for q knife fitted to mans neck mas
not been allowed TO interfere with q
sense of design Their swords, or
"campalongs," are a regular graceful
arc of a circle. One such sword, ap-
parently made from a thick saw
brought to the islands by trading
ship, is chased and inlaid with silver
and has a mahogany handle. The
workman who engraved the blade evil
IDENTIFY worked long to carve the handle
into a shape singularly like that OF the
swords used among the Saracen tribes
At the curve in the hilt Spanish coins
have been sunk until flush with the
surface. The handle is decorated with
a fringe of hair dyed red or maroon.
Another knife is little and curved
back toward the wrist when held III
the closed fist. This is intended for
swift blow at the stomach, and then,
when the enemy has doubled over, to
complete the attack with stab in the
back. Many of the knives are decor
ated with horn or silver handles, and
one terminates in an ivory tusk. Near
ly all Of these short knives are curved
into the form of a kris, and look ike
highly ornamented bread knives.
An umbrella in the collection Is
work of art, but it is suspected OF Chl-
nese origin. Palm leaves have been
cut and trimmed until they fitted to-
gether for an outer covering, as smooth
and firm as heavy paper. This was
then applied to frame of split pam
boo in the fashion of the ordinary chi
nese or japanese parasol. Inside the
frame has been decorated with rattan
split into slender strands ana woven
about the umbrella ribs, The whole
was then given a tone Of deep red and
the outside vanished 10 make it imper-
vious to water. Everything used in the
construction of the umbrella is vegeta-
BILE. even the fastenings at the ends OF
the ribs and the little rivets used in
the frame.
The Filipino blowpipe will disappoint
those whose ideas of such weapons
have been obtained from the geogra-
phies Of fifteen years ago or more. lt
is not ten feet long or two inches In
diameter. On the contrary, 1t Is
most inoffensive instrument about
three-ouarters Of an inch thick ana
only a yard long. 1t is merely an en-
larged putty blower, of the sort pos
sessed by the American boy. The ma
terial use in its manufacture Is a Sec
tion of bamboo, with the openings
carefully rounded. For darts the ma
tive shapes little arrows Of split bam-
boo, and winds about the barb end a
little ball of cotton to ill the tube ana
offer the greatest possible resistance
to the air
Nothing could more fully meet the
old atlas idea Of South Sea Islanders
than the bamboo wine bottle which
rests alongside the blowpipe. 1t Is
about foot long, four or five inches
in diameter and would hold possibly
half a gallon. Holes have been bored
in the fibre at the end, and a strip of
rattan fastened into them for a sling
strap. The last item OF it's equipment
IS a round wooden cork, which is fast
ona1 70 fbo Ubottlau Inv rattan