IFUGAO UTENSILS & WEAPONS

Dipper (14,5 cm x 5,7 cm). Collected in Poitan (east of Banaue) by Tage Ellinger. The dipper has previously been owned by the warrior Attaban. Donated to the National Museum of Denmark in 1952.

The hands resting on the front of the thighs is referred to as “Hapao style”. The object is further characterized by a lack of space between the arms and the torso, as well as a rudimentary treatment of the face.

COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF DENMARK, C.6760

Photograph courtesy of Katja Kvaale

Anthropomorphic spoon handle (8,7 cm) depicting couple in sexual embrace. Donated to the National Museum of Denmark in 1967 by Amalie Kjersmeier.

The wood carving is executed in a stylistic manner that indicates the object is from the Hapao area. The theme is well known and several other similar examples – some probably by the same carver - exist in various private collections.

The inclusion of figurative carvings on spoon handles appears to have been for various reasons. In this case the owner of the spoon would expect that improved fertility would result from using the spoon.

In Ifugao spoons were valued possessions associated with individual family members. Care would be taken to keep the spoon clean, and offering a dirty spoon to a guest would be considered an insult.

COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF DENMARK, C.7772

Photograph courtesy of Katja Kvaale

Photograph care of www.tribalmania.com

This interesting basket is normally described as a hunting or warrior basket, but it is also worn by a priest during the burial ritual in connection with individuals who have met violent deaths, for example by beheading or accident. Such death is considered shameful in Ifugao and other places, because according to traditional belief, only people with certain adverse qualities could meet violent death. Special rituals are performed in connection with these occurrences - even by Christian Igorotes, and great effort is gone to in order to repair the body before the funeral, so that the insulted spirit of the dead will not linger.

A characteristic of this type of basket is that it does not have a lid. Functionally it confirms its utilitarian purpose, since it has a rain shield that can be loosened and pulled up over the head. It has also been pointed out that when worn with the shield in the up position, an intimidating and perhaps also camouflaging effect was obtained*. The radiating fibers are also thought to have the effect of helping an eventual vindictive spirit of the dead pray inside the backpack depart. The materials used are rattan, abnut (dried stems of leaves from the bangi palm), and rope (appearing to be hemp).

The Lepanto version of this basket is named takba, and its ritual functionality is well documented.

* Armand Cating, correspondance, June 2002.

Provenance: William Beyer, 1995

PRIVATE COLLECTION

Twined and pleated Butit basket for storing of live locust. All baskets of this characteristic square cylindrical shape are of great age, and have not been used for many generations, as the locust has been extinct in Luzon for a considerable time. This is enigmatic, as no explanation for why such baskets were kept in spite of its lack of applicable use. One explanation could be that there was a certain status associated with ownership of such baskets.

The object was collected in Poitan by Axel Bojsen-Møller, and donated in 1960 to the National Museum of Denmark by Friends of Ethnographic Collections.

Dimensions: Height 45,5 cm, length 20 cm, width 19 cm.

COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF DENMARK, C.7335

Photograph courtesy of Katja Kvaale

Head trophy presented to Dr. Tage Ellinger by Attaban in the village of Puitan. According to Attaban this is the head of Patinanglan, one of his enemies from the village of Lagud. Patinanglan had burnt down the house of Attaban, and Attaban therefore ambushed Patinanglan along a foot trail. He was killed by a spear hurled at him. The flesh and brain was removed from the scull, as per tradition. Then the skull was smoked over an open fire. Attaban had seven such head trophies.