ALTACO NEWS
April 2011:
PHOTOGRAPH WITH CARVERS
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Ifugao “made to order” art already appeared in the market during the last
part of the Spanish era. While this form of Northern Philippine art is
outside the scope of ALTACO, it is nevertheless important to understand the
transition from traditional art to commercial art, as it helps us place
stylistic elements within a time frame. The Ifugao carver Tagiling belongs to this transitional period. His style
has been emulated by subsequent carvers, and a considerable
selection of “Tagilingesque” anthropomorphic
figures were seen in the market during the late 1900s. A photograph from Kababuyan
of an aged Tagiling (right) and a carver named Tundagwi (left) taken some time before 1924 shows the two
carvers together with carvings in Tagiling style. Here
both carvers are resting one arm on the art. By staging the subjects in this
manner, the photographer is connecting both carvers to the art. Since the theme
of the photograph is very specific, it must also be assumed that the
photographer was aware of the role each carver had, and that there is some
relevance in the presence of Tundagwi. A carving
tool can even be seen placed on the top of the lower carving - seemingly
included by accident, but suspectly placed as a
prop - because the carvings are already long ago finished. We are left with the impression that Tagiling’s role must have been as a mentor to Tundagwi. According to Ellis (1981) master carvers sometimes
finalized carvings started by rough hewers. The practice of collaboration is
thus not foreign to Ifugao craftsmen. From this photograph we see that it is very likely
that Tagiling laid a foundation for a carving
tradition in his own spirit. We now also know the name of one of the carvers
who carried this tradition onwards. Furthermore, it appears that at least
some of the anthropomorphic “Tagilingesque”
carvings are not “fake copies” of Tagiling, but belong
to the “school” of Tagiling. This school is thought
to have lasted until the mid 1900s when carvers produced the last bulul to replace carvings lost during the Japanese era. That other schools of carving have existed in Ifugao during the 500 or so years of known carving
tradition is almost certain. (Incidentally,
some collectors may recall that Dolores and Manuel Tandoc
kept a Tagiling stool in their shop at the Baguio palenke during the 1990s.) |
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April 2011:
ROY FRANKLIN BARTON PHOTOGRAPHS SURFACE ON RUSSIAN
WEBSITE
R. F. Barton resided in the Soviet Union prior to
WWII. Now a Russian website by the name of Kunstkamera is publishing
photographs taken by Barton, the majority of which are from Barton's latter
Russian-American sponsored trips to the Cordilleras in 1937 and 1940.
Maria Stanyukovich in St. Petersburg kindly
brought this to the attention of Armand Cating, who notofied ALTACO of it.
The photographs are available at http://www.kunstkamera.ru/kunst-catalogue/index.seam?path=675%3A1041%3A3592137&c=PHOTO&cid=762319
January 2011:
ANOTHER PHOTOGRAPH OF CHARLES MARTIN LOCATED
Now that Charles Martin has been identified, it has
become possible to recognize him in other photographs as well. Armand Cating recognized Charles Martin in a photograph at the Bentley
Image Bank at the University of Michigan, and submitted the link to ALTACO.
Charles Martin is located behind Secretary Worcester diagonally to the left.
December 2010:
PHOTOGRAPHS OF CHARLES MARTIN LOCATED
Charles Martin is perhaps most well known as the
photographer who worked for the Manila Bureau of Science during the early
1900s. His photographs are widely published, often in connection with Dean C.
Worcester, the Secretary of the Interior. For years ALTACO has attempted to
locate a photograph of this renowned contributor to Cordillera photo history,
but without luck. National Geographic – where Martin worked as head of the
photo laboratory – kindly looked through their records, and found interesting
files on him, but drew a blank as far as a photographic portrait was concerned.
Luckily, networking with historians proved to be the winning strategy, and
recently a message was received from Dr. Mark Rice, who had come across Charles
Martin’s name in a text written by D. C. Worcester describing photographs in an
album at the Newberry Library in Chicago. Two photographs were identified, in
which clear images of a young Charles Martin appeared. The Newberry Library was
contacted, and thanks to the generosity of this institution, ALTACO is herewith
able to include one of the photographs.
Charles Martin is seen here seated to the left,
together with fellow US Army personnel in Mindoro. Relatively little is known
about Mr. Martin. There is no information indicating that he married, and
ALTACO has not been able to locate near or distant relatives who could shed
light on this heroic character. Maud Jenks, the wife of Albert Jenks, is one of
the few people who had any substantial contribution as far as including Charles
Martin in documentary writings. It is known that Charles Martin was sent to
France to study film making, and that he produced an elusive documentary film
about the Philippines. He is also credited with teaming up in a successful
National Geographic subsea duo that aimed at taking the first color photography
ever under water.
Anyone who can provide further information about
Charles Martin is urged to contact ALTACO at molt-and@online.no.
June 2010:
ROSE LAED HAS PASSED AWAY
Rose Laed, the proprietor of ”Kalinga Ethnic” passed away
last month. Through her international marketing of highland arts and crafts,
Rose has been instrumental in providing an outlet for creative people –
particularly from her native province of Kalinga.
Furthermore, she has realized the ambition of enabling an alternate source of
income for many. As one of the most knowledgeable persons on Kalinga culture, Ms. Laed
assisted researchers and collectors with information and helped locate
interesting objects. ALTACO owes much to her and her kin, and will always
remember her kindness and generosity.
June 2010:
ALTACO is back online after 4 and a
half years off the air.
November 2005:
HIROFUMI KOBAYASHI HAS
PASSED AWAY
The photographer, collector
and dealer Hiro Kobayashi passed away Tuesday the 1st
of November. The cause of death was brain hemorrhage.
Mr. Kobayashi traveled
extensively in the Philippines, and is renown
for his photographs of the minorities in Mindanao, Mindoro and Northern Luzon.
His works are published in both Japanese and English, and perhaps his most well
know book is "Death and Ritual: Funerary Rites in India and The
Philippines". As a collector he was particularly fascinated in the Ifugao punamhan and
anthropomorphic art.
Hiro Kobayashi will be missed by all.
October 2005:
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A. L. KROEBER'S "KINSHIP IN THE
PHILIPPINES" FROM MEAD'S LIBRARY A copy of the Kroeber
classic "Kinship in the Philippines" recently sold for USD70 on ebay. The reason for the high price was that it is signed
by the renown anthropologist/feminist Margaret Mead
on the cover. Initially the item
reached four times this price, however, apparently the high bid was
fraudulent, and the item was therefore returned to the auction block. The
second time around the price reached was more in line with the expected
value. |
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July 2005:
IFUGAO ANGULAR FIGURE SOLD
AT CHRISTIES
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An "angular figure" sold at
Christies on July 5. It is an anthropomorphic figure on a kitchen utensil,
and it is a variation to several well known large figures collected during
the Spanish era in Ifugao. One theory is that the
angular figure represents the Ifugao aesthetic
interpretation of the Spanish soldier. This is because all such angular figures
are male, they wear "helmets", they have a bigger nose, and they
normally have a fat rounded stomach reminiscent of body armor. (This
particular example has a differing representation of the stomach area, mouth,
and helmet). |
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May 2005:
CORNELIS DE WITT WILLCOX
DOCUMENTS SURFACE
Three interesting documents
relating to Cornelis de Witt Willcox
recently surfaced on ebay. The documents had been in
a collection in Florida. Willcox is the author of the
1912 book Headhunters of Northern Luzon.
January 2004:
GADDANG WEAVERS PRODUCING
KALINGA DESIGNS
The windfall of high
quality brand new Kalinga style decorative textiles
supplied to the market is continuing to stir interest among dealers. According
to a prominent Baguio dealer these textiles are produced by Gaddang
weavers, and are highly marketable among less demanding buyers.
Curiously, some of the
textiles have been adapted into alternate applications and ethnic styles. For
example, the ancient Kalinga "black red"
twill weave skirt is now commonly found converted into the form of a Gaddang beaded loincloth.
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Above: Black red Kalinga
design converted into a Gaddang loincloth. With the
high quality and beautiful design, this textile is comfortably priced
compared to antique ones. |
Other such textiles found
in Baguio and Manila are white blouses with colourful supplementary weft, and various skirts. The common factors for
these textiles are 1) Kalinga style twill weave
designs; and 2) high quality work with extensive use of knotting, embroidery
or beading. Although it is nice that
revival of weaving has been spawned by market demand, it is important to keep
in mind that these textiles are handicrafts - not rare antiques - something
that is normally reflected in the price. Furthermore, the textiles are produced
outside their traditional area, and are neither Kalinga
nor traditional Gaddang. Regrettably, at times
stains are applied to the textiles in order to emulate heavy use. This,
combined with the fact that some dealers are unfamiliar with these textiles,
and unable to distinguish the new decorative textiles from antique
traditional ones, renders acquisition of collectable textiles a more risky
proposition for the novice. |
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Beautifully crafted replica of the rare Kalinga style vented blouse |
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November 2003:
|
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An Ifugao hat from the
north central Ifugao rancherias
of Kambulo or Batad
was sold at Sotheby's. The hammer went at USD8,000.
This item is similar to Ellis UCLA # 236; but different from Barton 1918. |
September 2003:
BAGUIO
CITY HALL BUYING COSETENG TEXTILE COLLECTION?
According to Sun Star
Baguio, Mayor Bernardo Vergara is attempting to raise
two million Pesos to purchase a collection of fine Cordillera tribal textiles
from the Nikki Coseteng collection. The collection is
at present displayed at the City Hall under tight security. Vice Mayor Betty
Lourdes Tabanda was hoping the collection would be
donated by Ms. Coseteng, however, this does not seem
to be the case. At a price of P2M the former Senator is offering the City Hall
a huge break, since she estimates the collection to be worth about twice as much.
July 2003:
BENGUET MUMMY OFFERED FOR P310,000
According to Harley F. Palangchao at Sun.Star in Baguio,
a 500 year old mummy from Benguet was advertised for
sale in Europe for P310,000 in 2000. The same year
about 10 other mummies were being exhibited in San Francisco. Benguet Governor Raul Molintas
has asked the assistance of President Arroyo in recovering mummies, which
tribal leaders believed have been stolen from the town of Kabayan.
Dr. Preciosa Soliven,
secretary general of the Unesco National Commission,
and Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas Ople have also
been asked to help in recovering stolen Benguet
mummies.
There is also good news: In recent years three stolen Benguet
mummies have been returned to their original resting places in Kabayan after community elders identified the missing
treasures as having originated from their place. A prominent family in Sagada, Mt. Province was reportedly in possession of the
mummies. The first stolen Benguet mummy, which was
returned to Kabayan in 1999, was Apo Anno.
The Benguet mummies were included in the World
Monuments Preservation List by the American Express Foundation in 1998, and
continuous preservation of the centuries-old national treasures is now
undertaken.
June 2003:
INTERVIEW WITH ROBERTO
MARAMBA
Roberto Maramba is probably best known in the tribal art circuit
for his beautiful collection of northern Luzon adornments,
and for his pioneering book "FORM AND SPLENDOR". With his inherent
respect for northern Philippine cultures, he has long been a strong advocate
for enlightenment and stronger awareness about this aspect of Philippine
heritage.
ALTACO: As a
professional designer, art has been an essential part of your life. When did
you begin collecting tribal art, and what attracted you to this area?
Maramba: To escape the heat of Manila, my
parents have a country house in Baguio, Mountain Province, northern
Luzon. Baguio in the 70's still had beautiful scenery: perfect for hikes and horseback rides. Baguio also had the most
interesting market with antiques, textiles and porcelain. Mixed in with
everything were these strange necklaces of boar's tusks, beads in strange color
combinations, and belts of wood and ivory rings. I remember my first purchase
was an armband with fine black beads - black like frozen caviar; some large
ceramic and glass beads of ochre, and green beads interspersed with brass
chunks. Even back then the cost of these were a fortune to me, so I could only
buy one of the pair. I was living in the States at the time. Looking at these
artifacts - and living with them - made me more and more fascinated.
ALTACO: In your home, you
have a diverse selection of Philippine art and antiques such as excavated blue
and white porcelain, santos,
betel nut boxes and baskets. What made you concentrate on collecting northern
Luzon ornaments?
Maramba: While living in New York, the book
«Power and Gold» by Susan Rodgers came out. Around that time my sister
introduced me to her boyfriend, Eric Anderson, who was at the time collecting
Naga artifacts. He saw my collection and we hit it off immediately. He also had
the book. In it were the Philippine objects from the Barbier-Müller
collection in Geneva. These were mostly from Mindanao (southern Philippines)
and Mountain Province (northern Luzon). Many of the pieces I had seen in
Baguio, but some I had even passed over as unimportant. Here was a source that
showed such appreciation for what I had admired in the market. And, I knew now
that these artifacts would fast disappear. Both Eric and I wanted to collect as
much as we could find and afford. I really was drawn to shell, teeth and bone.
I started with several «lightning belts» and the collection grew from there. My
first major purchase was the trapezoidal mother of pearl necklace on the cover
of my book. I paid $2000 in 1986! Because Eric and I were often interested in
acquiring the same items, basically driving up the prices, we gradually
gravitated in different directions. He collected textiles, and I ornaments.
ALTACO.
Use of traditional adornments among the ethnic minorities in northern Luzon
declined severely during the last half of the 20th century. Was it difficult to
research the subject at this late stage of the game?
Maramba: Very. The dealers at the market
would inform me of their names and ethnic groups but so much information was
contradictory. It was difficult to differentiate fact and myth. I started with
researching at libraries in Manila (Ayala, Ateneo,
Lopez-Jaena, National, CCP, etc.) then later at
museums and libraries abroad (Smithsonian in Washingon
DC; Field in Chicago; Volkerkundemuseum in Basel and
Zurich; Rautenstrauch-Joest in Cologne, etc.). I did
interviews with runners (tribal middlemen), dealers and other collectors to
corroborate terminology and usage.
ALTACO. Your award winning book "Form
and Splendor" was the first major book to focus exclusively on art of
Northern Luzon. At the time no publisher would sponsor such a project, and you
had to absorb the financial risk yourself. Against all odds you went ahead.
Why?
Maramba: As an expatriate, I felt it my
mission to expose this art to a wider, international audience. My goal was to
present the pieces as modern art, like collages or assemblages using feathers,
shell and bone as mixed media. So many foreigners could appreciate primitive
art from Africa or New Guinea but no one had even heard of such art from the
Philippines. I found publishers in New York and Frankfurt but they wanted to
compromise my design for commercial purposes. But, after waiting for seven
years, I felt it had to be produced exactly the way I designed it (I am a graphic
designer). I financed the photography (which I also art directed) and the
lithography to control the end result. All the rejections from publishers made
me more determined to see the project through!
ALTACO: In connection with
the publication of your book, your collection was exhibited at the Metropolitan
Museum in Manila. The exhibition had to be extended due to popular demand, yet, we see few other private collections on public
display in the Philippines.
Maramba: Private collectors are just that:
very private. It is considered more exclusive this way. I know collectors who
have their own private museums of rare paintings or porcelain but they keep it
secret except for family and very intimate friends. No pearls before swine, is
their philosophy. Some even keep paintings in a safe as big as a bedroom! Theft
is a problem. Many people do not want to advertise their possessions for fear
of attracting robbers or even tempting their staff to pilferage.
ALTACO: Books about
northern Luzon textiles, baskets, shields and adornments have been done
already, and photography in the Cordillera has also been covered. One major
missing subject is ritual sculptures. Why do you think this is so? Is it too
difficult a subject to cover?
Maramba: Many financially successful
Filipinos still look down on Cordillera ritual sculpture as backward and
savage. They abhor this image of Filipinos as living in nipa
huts and cutting off heads and always want to show foreigners the modern Makati
skyline instead of primitive art. They do not see it as art but as an
embarrassing leftover of a horrible time. The all-pervasive influence of
Catholicism is strongly against heathen images. It is much more socially
accepted to collect ivory religious statues with gold embroidered robes. The very
real belief and fear of ghosts, evil spirits and the supernatural do not help.
All sorts of misfortune and accidents are blamed on the presence of such sculptures in the home. Also, jaded attitudes
of «if you've seen one bulul, you've seen them all» are
common. The proliferation of fakes does not help the matter. On the other hand,
actual owners of bulul are often very attached to
them. They would never dream of lending them to a strange photographer or
curator: "The statue must not be moved from its place." I am afraid
it will have to be a foreigner - even a foreign museum - to organize such a
book!
May 2003:
Hathaway books in Santa Fe recently sold their signed copy of Mable Cook Cole's book "Savage Gentlemen (1929), with an inscription to Dorothy and Fred Eggan. Ms. Cook was the wife of noted American anthropologist Fay Cooper-Cole, who founded the department of Anthropology at the University of Chicago, and conducted field studies in Abra for the Field Museum of Natural History. Fred Eggan taught at the University of the Philippines, and chaired the Department of Anthropology at the University of Chicago. Dorothy was his first wife.
April 2003:
A signed copy of the book
"Prehispanic Source Materials for the Study of
Philippine History" by the late historian William Henry Scott was recently
sold by Alibris. The book was signed for Cristoph von Fürer-Haimendorf,
the well known anthropologist who wrote monographs on several
"Indian" tribes, such as the Apa
Tanis, Maria, Muria, and Konyak
Nagas. Perhaps his most well known book is "The
Naked Nagas". A year after the Scott book was
issued, von Fürer-Haimendorf published an article
about the Philippines in The Geographical magazine
(London) titled "Tribal Traditions in a Civilized World". In the Igorot Studies Library at St. Andrew's Seminary in Quezon
City there is a reprint of this article with a handwritten acknowledgement
stating: "With best wishes and cordial thanks for much invaluable
help", signed Christoph von Fürer-Haimendorf.
William Henry Scott was one
of the most prolific writers on the subject of the Cordillera, his long place
of residence. With books such as "The Discovery of the Igorots"
he helped enhance the understanding of these ethnic minorities' struggle for
self determination. Among his other achievements was the creation of The Igorot Studies Library.
March 2003:
FILM ABOUT WILLIAM JONES IN
THE MAKING
Started in 1995,
"Headhunting William Jones", a 58-minute video documentary by Collis
H. Davis, Jr., is about the Native American ethnologist (1871-1909) to the
Philippines (1907-09).
Headhunting William Jones
explores themes of the assimilated Native American, the ethnologist as American
patriot, and the scientist as Puritan. According to Davis, "Headhunting
William Jones is important to the field of Philippine-American history as
William Jones can be regarded as a prism-like figure through which the complex
motives of 20th century American Expansionism can be seen. In terms of
biography, while William Jones's stellar success in educational achievement was
touted as an affirmation of the U.S.'s Federal Indian educational policy, his
failure to distinguish between his highly judgmental moral views of his Ilongot hosts and that of purely scientific observation as
an ethnologist reveal character flaws in the scientist that eventually cost him
his life."
The documentary has drawn
upon Jones's field diaries, the biography, "William Jones: Indian, Cowboy,
American Scholar, and Anthropologist in the Field", (Rideout
1912) by Henry M. Rideout and numerous
correspondence. In many respects, the documentary draws many parallels to
Joseph Conrad's turn-of-the-century obscurantist novel, "Heart of
Darkness", as it takes the audience back in time via an airborne journey
up the Philippine's Cagayan river in northern Luzon, and intercut with
flashbacks in the chronology.
Although the production has
been making slow but steady progress, much remains to be done on the
documentary. Although the filmmaker resides in the Philippines, Davis indicates
that his next several trips back to the U.S. will afford him an opportunity to
photograph sites in the American Midwest where Jones grew up and later
conducted research in Algonquin Indian languages and folklore, including
several more interviews which are intended to cover Jones's years at Hampton
Institute and later as an ethnologist in American Indian cultures.
Thus far, any photographs
of William Jones in the field in the Philippines have eluded Davis's research
efforts. Presently, he is focusing on locating descendants of Romano Dumaliang who worked with William Jones until the day Jones
died of wounds inflicted by three Ilongot warriors in
defense of their chieftain. Correspondence suggests that Romano was given some
pictures of Jones plus his watch. Davis admits that such a search is an
"extreme long shot in terms of striking any pay dirt some 94 years
later." Davis is also looking into the Otley
Beyer collection in its new home at the National Library of Australia since
Jones and Beyer were active in Northern Luzon at the same time.
Davis expects that
Headhunting William Jones will be completed by the end of 2004. He expects to
get the work broadcast in the Philippines, on the U.S. public television system
and in individual European broadcast markets. He also will release a DVD Video
as a supplement to the linear broadcast product. The DVD will feature the
full-length work, plus additional material not used in the documentary proper.
February 2003:
INTERVIEW WITH DAVID
BARADAS
The well known
anthropologist Dave Baradas has been instrumental
both in the Philippines and internationally within museum work, and he is one
of the strong forces today involved in lifting the awareness of Philippine
culture. ALTACO met with him recently at his home in Baguio.
ALTACO: There has been a
lot of talk about setting up museums within indigenous settings in relatively
remote locations, such as Lubuagan, so that ethnic
minorities may benefit. Is this a sound concept?
Baradas: Yes, there is an urgent need for
museums in the vicinity of a rich tribal area - first to remind them of
vanishing forms as well as to serve as a reference point in the revival of
same.
ALTACO: You spend a lot of
your time abroad working on museum projects in countries such as France, USA
and India. When you are in the Philippines, you are back and forth between
Manila and Baguio. Now you are considering setting up in Sagada.
Does this mean things are going to happen in Sagada?
Baradas: The Sagada
effort is just to assist a friend who is setting up a small resort - an oasis
of sorts in the midst of a pine forest. Hopefully it would become more than
just a resort with strong cultural and environmental concerns.
ALTACO: In its present
situation, it is difficult for the Philippine government to fund museum
projects. Is enough done within tribal art by the private sector to alleviate
the situation?
Baradas: This is an area that has always
been fraught with difficulties. Since l998 the private sector has significantly
assisted the National Museum. There is plenty of room for the private sector to
get involved in, but first a realization has to take place that this field is a
significant endeavor.
ALTACO: There is concern
among some Filipinos that promotion of Philippine tribal art abroad generates
an impression that the Philippines is a primitive
country. Based on your extensive experience abroad, can you comment on this?
Baradas: This has no basis. All exhibitions
I have done abroad have always been positively received. All has been fore
worded with relevant info to put the featured items in its proper context
relative to the larger and more dominant culture. The distinctiveness of
Philippine culture only emerges when focusing on the indigenous traditions.
Otherwise it comes on as rather bland.
ALTACO: Ethnic minorities
have undergone extensive assimilation in the 20th century. What are some of the
most important tasks that must be focused on in order to ensure that valuable
knowledge is not lost forever due to this assimilation?
Baradas: Fine authentic pieces should be
collected and should be made available to the public. It will provide creative
inspiration not only for the inheritors of the traditions but others as well.
Adaptive functional use will keep the tradition alive.
ALTACO: Anthropologists
argue that "westernization" of tribal art is a natural phenomenon,
and therefore is legitimate. Today's Ifugao carvers
prefer to earn their living carving tourist objects that are far removed from
traditional objects. Should anything be done to interfere with this?
Baradas: Culture as we all know is not
static. We should never impose. We may consider suggesting things such as
shifting medium say from wood to stone or clay to provide some guidelines for
new efforts. But not to dictate. Stifling creativity
is a crime to the human spirit.
January 2003:
Peter Francis Jr. passed
away in December last year during a research trip in Ghana. Peter wrote "Ifugao Heirloom Beads", "The Kalinga"
and "Bontoc Beads and Ornaments" published
in Ornament, 17:1, 17:3 and 18:1. He was also the founder of the Center
for Bead Research, and his website thebeadsite.com will no longer be in
operation. The concept behind thebeadsite.com served as an inspiration for
ALTACO.
January 2003:
MEYER AND SCHADENBERG
PHOTOGRAPHS DISCOVERED IN AUSTRALIA
In 1891 Adolf Meyer and
Alexander Schadenberg published their Album of
Philippines Types - Northern Luzon. This book contains 50 pages of photographs
taken in 1887; photographs that are now considered treasures in connection with
Philippine ethno history. One can only speculate about what remains today of
the original photographic material, and how much of it there once was.
Recently some original
prints have been found in Australia. The discovery happened by pure chance when
ALTACO, while assisting the National Library of Australia, came upon a
photograph in their Otley Beyer Collection that was
identical to a photograph in the Meyer Schadenberg
book. This photograph is one in a set of which several appear never to have
been published before.
December 2002:
Roland Go has sold the bulk
of his textile collection to Nikki Coseteng. Included
in the sale was one of his two 17th century Iloilo pinilian
blankets. As the leading Cordillera textile dealer, Roland Go was particularly
active in the Japanese market, and it is therefore with great satisfaction that
this historic transaction involves another Philippine collector, so that these
important textiles remain in the Philippines.
October 2002:
Musée du Quai Branly,
planned to open in Paris 2005, has announced that it will include the major
geographic area of Oceania, with meeting points between Asia-Oceania, Indonesia
and the Philippines. Emphasis will be put on the long history of the cultures
presented, on the diverse meanings of the objects displayed, and on a number of
significant themes (for example costumes from Asia). The Philippine collection
will include the famous Ifugao seated anthropomorphic figure holding a bowl (from the former
William Beyer collection), and articles from the former Barbier-Mueller
Cordillera adornment collection (all the pieces published in Susan Rogers'
"Power and Gold" catalogue have been either sold or donated to the
French government - the owner of the museum).
October 2002:
Gallery DEUS has done it
again! In May an important very old Kalinga be-e
was featured by ALTACO, and now a matching ka-in (skirt) has passed
through the same gallery.
The main difference between
the two textiles is that the male artifact was in perfect condition, while the
female counterpart shows strong signs of wear. The be-e was used exclusively
for rituals, however, it is obvious that the kain was used much more often. Although it is more common
in modern times for women than for men to wear traditional attire in Kalinga, it is more plausible that the additional wear is
due to the ka-in being worn continuously for protection against malevolent
ancestral spirits. The thousands of lozenge shapes woven into the textile are
thought to pacify spirits, since they halt to count the number of elements in
the design before continuing on their mission.
One of the special
features of the kain is the joins of the panels that
are knotted together in traditional manner of fine Itneg/Gaddang/Kalinga textiles.
Normally this knotting is executed in a characteristic two tone
or three tone design, but in this case the knotting is in the same colour as the rest of the textile.
September 2002:
A most special and unusual
literature treasure was recently auctioned on ebay by
Borneobooks of California, USA, namely "The
Philippines Past and Present" by D. C. Worcester. In itself this item is not
anything that would cause a stir in the market, however, what made the two volume set noticeable was that the inner page was signed by
D. C. Worcester himself. Even though this is interesting, what really rose
eyebrows was that the set was a gift from Worcester to Charles Martin, the renown photographer who's works
appear scattered throughout Cordillera literature in connection with the
American era. Although the material produced by the Worcester-Martin team has
been criticized for being protective of colonial interests, it remains one of
the single most important sources of Cordillera historical documentation. A CDROM about the subject has been published by the
University of Michigan.
Other copies signed by Mr.
Worcester were given to former colonial administrators in the Cordillera, such
as Lt. Gov. W. E. Dosser and Lt. Gov. Jeff D. Gallman.
July 2002:
Nayong Pilipino, which housed one of the
most important Northern Luzon tribal art collections,
has recently been closed down to make way for the construction of the
new airport terminal. While not an exact replication, the Department of Tourism
shall showcase the best of each Philippine region throughout 2003, which is
"Visit Philippines" Year.
June 2002:
Pananaw 4 was launched on June 22, at the
re-opened Surrounded by Water Gallery, #70 18th St., Cubao,
Q.C. It is the millennium issue of this continuing series published by the
National Commission for Culture and the Arts Committees on Visual Arts and Art
Galleries. Petty Benitez-Johannot has contributed
with an article for the issue.
May 2002:
An important be-e
(loincloth) was sold by Gallery DEUS to a private collector this month. The
textile is from the Lubo region of Kalinga, and is dyed with a deep indigo. The diamond twill
is in three layers, and extremely tight, verifying that Kalinga
textiles rank with Itneg and Gaddang
textiles to have the finest weave in the Philippines. The fiber is thought to
be Cagayan Valley cotton. Based upon interviews with informants from the
region, and comparison with other similar textiles, it is estimated that the
textile is at least 100 years old. Although the indigo dye is remarkably dark,
this can be explained by the fact that the textile has not been worn often, and
probably not washed many times.
It is said that the textile was worn during ritual sacrifices of pigs by an upper class Tinglayan tribe man. A matching ka-in (skirt) was owned by the wife. Similar textiles in cotton and bark fiber are well known, and also exist in white. These have been used for daily wear as well as funerary burial cloths. The width of the textile is 19cm.
Close-up of the diamond twill. The diamonds are about 3,5mm wide.
The ends have nine and seven rows of triple double knits respectively.
This aesthetic concept is present in most loin cloths and bark cloths from the
region, and manifests itself in the form of
supplementary weft, beading or embroidery. The significance of the
design is lost history, however it is theorised
(based upon Itneg traditional beliefs) that
irregularities in the number of lines are signatures of the weaver/maker, and
portals for spirits to enter and leave.
A quintuple double knit marks the ends, and a fine knotting decorates
the sides and bottoms of the end regions.
Former Philippine Senator
Nikki Coseteng is touring the US to introduce and
promote the book Sinaunang Habi,
Philippine Ancestral Weave, written by Marian Pastor Roces
and published by Ms. Coseteng.