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Tiger bells in South East Asia
Philippines
All tiger bells are of the A type, in sizes varying from about 1,5 to 4 cm. The tiger bells appear in Palawan, Mindoro and Mindanao. There are no reports from Luzon.
Dimensions: wide 3,7 cm., high 3,3 cm., side 3,2 cm., hoop 1cm. rectangular
Dimensions: 2,6 cm., high 2,3 cm., side 1,4 cm., hoop 0,5 cm trapezium shaped
Group: Tagakaolu
Several tiger bells together with ordinary bells on a girdle used for dances accompanied by a logdrum, similar to the B'laan dance mentioned below. Photographed in 1974.
Nine tiger bells together with five ordinary bells, on a dance girdle (see Tagakaolu, the B'laan's neighbours). When asked about the age of the bells the reaction was 'more than fifty years! which was probably more an indication of an extremely long time than a realistic estimate.
Four of the nine bells, on a danse girdle, B'laan
Mansaka girdle
Detail of the two tiger bells, well worn but the eyes are distinguishable
Drawing copied by the author from the original drawing in the publication Wild tribes of Davao District (see above)
Two tiger bells, on a hemp belt together with one large ordinary bell.Collection: Field Museum, Chicago.
Four tiger bells, in a bundle that was tied to a woman's belt. In Power and gold, picture 249, published by Prestel Verlag, Switzerland, 1985. Belt ornament, in the collection of the
Barbier-Mueller Museum, Geneva
Group: Mandaya
Two belts, one with tiger bells of various sizes, and one with one small tiger bell. On display in a Mandaya handicraft shop in Manila, in 1987
Group: unknown
One small tiger bell, in the National Museum in Manila. No further data.
Group: MangyanIn the book 'Album of Filipino types Volume III' (no year of publication but probably beginning of the century).
Caption: Manguianes from Mindoro. Front view of a woman(...) Attached to the rosary a small globular bell, such as are worn on swords and elsewhere near the Sea of Celebes.
Illustration: from the book Album of Filipino types Volume III, no further details.
...I visited the Bukidnon groups and the Tigwa Manobo. I hardly saw any bells there at all, all of the ordinary small kind. I was also able to purchase some bells in antique shops but they don't seem to be tigerbells. But what might be most interesting for you are two bells from the Mangyan of Mindoro which were given to me as a gift by my late brother-in-law, Pepito Bosch in Manila. They were given to him by a French woman-anthropologist who is married to a Mangyan.
These two bells are indeed tiger bells. They have virtually the same proportions and design like the bell on your homepage below the heading "Have you seen this bell?" which, as I understood, comes from SE-Mindanao. They have two different sizes: the bigger one 43 mm, the smaller one 35 mm at the widest points (approximately from one end of the slit to the other). On the bigger one, the design can be seen very well, on the smaller one, the design is rubbed off on most of the surface, and there is only a plain shiny surface left; but still, the eyes and mouth of the tiger as well as parts of the surrounding design can be seen very well. At first sight, I realized already that these two bells must be of considerable age, and I also thought immediately that they might be of Chinese origin.
Reported in January 1997
Two tiger bells on a kampilan (sword). Photograph in 'Schwerter von Celebes' by Foy, published in 1899. Of the larger bell of the two both sides are shown.The Lanun (or Ilanun), live in the western part of Mindanao and were seafaring traders.
Collection Ethnographic Museum, Dresden
A report by Mr. Jeno Takacs on Philippine musical instruments in 1932-34:'Pum Piand (local name): bell imported from China, feast and war instrument; also used as money (probably by the Moros of the South)'.
No picture so this reference is uncertain.
On the site http://www.swordsantiqueweapons.com/s152_full.html Gavin Nugent from Brisbane, (Australia) gives a description of a kampilan (sword) from the Muslim part of Mindanao, given to or taken by US general J.J. Pershing in 1901u. The description:
A unique example of a massive Moro Kampilan of high status, attributed to the late US general of Armies, J.J.Pershing.
Measured out of the finely carved scabbard this piece is 116cms long with a very nicely laminated and inlayed blade of 87cms blade. This overall length places this piece at approx. 20 cm longer than the typical known Kampilan.
The massive and superbly carved hilt and guard remain in outstanding condition, workmanship that can be most appreciated in the viewing of the images rather than written descriptions.
Two most uncommon aspects seen on the hilt area is that of the double iron guard where a single guard is normally seen and also that of 2 Tiger Bells type A and 2 Tiger Bells type unknown hanging from the guards.The two bells identified as 'tiger bells type A' are indeed tiger bells type A, the other two ar not tiger bells.The wooden handle with okiran style carvings, typical for wood carvings
by ethnic muslim groups in the south of the PhilippinesOne tiger bell and one bell with other decorations
One of the tiger bells (right) and a common bell
The other tiger bell (left), and a common bell
The kampilan in total view
The label that came with the kampilan, stating that
the weapon was taken by Captain Pershing
in the year 1901
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for information please contact F. de Jager