# Sword (Barong)

- Date: c. 1800s
- Medium: Blade: steel; handle: silver with braided wire; pommel: ivory with carabao horn inlay
- Classification: Arms and Armor
- Dimensions: Overall: 64.2 cm (25 1/4 in.); Blade: 42 cm (16 9/16 in.)
- Culture: Philippines
- Credit line: Gift of J. H. Wade
- Museum: [Cleveland Museum of Art](https://clevelandart.org/art/1916.754)
- Rights: [Public domain (CC0)](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- Picture: https://invisiblenetwork.ai/thumbs/cma/1916.754/1916.754_web.jpg
- Who can see it: Teens profiles and older (museums give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the museum's own words)

This sword has a broad, leaf-shaped blade characteristic of the Sulu Archipelago. Its profile suggests it was used for powerful cut-and-slash fighting. The ivory pommel, inlaid with black hardwood, takes the form of a stylized cockatoo (kakatua). This feature, along with the finely worked horn grip, indicates that this was a prestige weapon owned by a member of the warrior nobility.