Lot 162
Southeast Asia, Philippine, Igorot, Bontoc (or Bontok) peoples, ca. 19th century CE. A formidable and elegant fangkao spear from the Bontok people of northern Luzon, composed of a long, tapering wooden shaft fitted with a carbon steel blade and lower steel butt spike. This type of javelin, noted for its wide, barbless blade, reflects the resourceful metallurgy and functional design of highland Philippine warfare and hunting traditions. The fangkao (also recorded as fan'-kao) was primarily used across the Cordillera region for hunting wild boar and carabao, though in certain villages like Ambawan, it served as a multipurpose weapon of both hunt and war. This example features a dark, smoothed shaft formed from a single length of dense wood, likely native hardwood, bound with a fitted iron spearhead at one end and a conical iron counterweight at the other. Size: 57" L x 1.5" W (144.8 cm x 3.8 cm); 57.5" H (146 cm) on included custom stand.
Such spears were traditionally forged by Igorot blacksmiths in the village of Baliwang, a regional center of blade production. As recorded in early 20th century ethnographies, around 1905 four working smithies still operated there, using simple stone tools and great skill to shape iron into these tools of survival and status.
The blade's elongated, leaf-like shape and lack of barbs emphasize penetration over entanglement, while the counterweight provided balance for both throwing and hand-held use. In its refined minimalism and cultural specificity, this fangkao stands as a compelling relic of indigenous Philippine martial heritage.
Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection, acquired in September 2023; ex-Material Culture, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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#195700
- Condition: Iron ring at base of blade is slightly loose. Stable fissures to wood shaft and chip to one side of blade. Surface wear with weathering and abrasions throughout, commensurate with age. Otherwise, intact and excellent with rich patina throughout.
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