Tausug Moro Bankung sword

The ‘bankung’ is a sword found among the Moro people of Southern-Philippines and the Sulu Archipelago. A weapon made for slashing with its balance near the center of the blade, making it suitable for slashing an opponent or its shield. The ‘bankung’ is a rather scarce type of sword which is attributed to the Moro people, but quite lesser known than the ‘kampilan’ or ‘barong’. The blade is single edged and has a convex spine which tapers towards the tip. ‘Bankung’ are often found in the regions of the Sulu archipelago, but this example with the fine carved wooden hilt seems to be from Tausug people, a muslim Moro minority which lives in North- Kalimantan, Mindanao, Sulu and Palawan.