Arts and Crafts of Luzon

Arts and Crafts
of Luzon
Highlands and Lowlands
Tribes in Luzon
Igorots Ibanag Ivatan Gaddang

Ifugao
What are the Ifugaos’ Woodcarvings
famous artwork? Textile Weaving
Basket Weaving
Woodcarving
The tradition of wood carving in Baguio is said to
have originated in the Ifugao barrio of Hapao in
the town of Hungduan. Many of the Ifugaos
would stay in the forest carving wood for days.
The Ifugao wood carvers of Hapao are generally
acknowledged to be the best in the Cordillera
region.
Woodcarving
A great variety of carvings, from small keychains to
life-sized statues, can be found at the Wood Carvers’
Village. The subjects of the carvings vary widely
but are mostly motifs closely associated with the
Cordilleras, such as bul’ul or indigenous people and
animals. Also common are religious icons, furniture,
household items, keychains, and signs. The carvers
also make items to order.
Woodcarving
bul’ul
Textile Weaving
Hand-weaving textile is one of the most interesting crafts of
the Philippines, weighed with immense cultural significance.
Little does one know, weaving is a sacred art. It is an
elaborate process with many stages which includes a ritual.
Textile Weaving
At Kiangan, the birthplace of Ifugao, weaving has always been a part
of the community’s daily activities. May it be for economic purposes,
cultural preservation or personal use. The Ifugao's of Kiangan either
practice traditional weaving which follows old-age techniques passed
on through generations, or the ikat, where bundles of yarn are tightly
wrapped together and dyed as many times to create a desired pattern or
design.
Textile Weaving
The weaving process usually starts with buying cotton from HABI, the
Philippine Textile Council of the Philippines. The cotton then is
twisted and collected into strands to prevent unwanted tangling. The
colour combination is based on the ones available to the weavers. Most
colourants are obtained from the seeds of nature: collected leaves,
trees, mud from the river banks, or plants like mayana which give a
greenish and yellowish colour to the thread.
Textile Weaving
The patterns used are mostly traditional ones, typically nature-inspired and beliefs-
based. The bayawak pattern, for example, is based on an eponymous giant lizard
said to be one of the gods who came down to earth to teach natives water
irrigation. On the other hand, the phyton symbol is placed on borders of weaving
textiles, inspired by a god who came down to Ifugao in the form of a snake to
guard boundaries. A dividing line, in forests or rice fields, for example, is
considered sacred among the Ifugao's because land is very precious to them. In
addition, the star symbol represents abundance, multitude, and fertility.
Ifugao Weaving
Techniques
KINULHUDAN
[plain stripes]
The basic form of weaving among the Ifugaos. Strips of different colored threads
are arranged on the loom and woven to create patterns.

BINOBODAN
[resist-dyeing]
In this technique, the patterns are constructed during the dyeing process. The
designs are played out in the weaver's mind before the prepared threads are tied
and wrapped. The cloth is then dyed and the pattern is revealed once the threads
are unwrapped and woven together
NILIHHA/PINILLI
[supplementary warp]
Pre-colored threads are used to incorporate designs and patterns in the fabric as
it is woven. In the leftmost photo, the orange threads (vertical, warp) are raised
and put back to create symbols and motifs against the green threads (horizontal,
weft).
BALUD
[supplementary weft]
This technique is usually used for women's belts and funerary blankets. As shown
in the middle photo, weft threads (horizontal, red) are inserted through the warp
threads (vertical, yellow) to create patterns.
Basket Weaving
Basketmaking is gender specific among some groups. For instance,
both Ifugao men and women engage in basketmaking, while among the
Kalinga, men do all of the weaving. Baskets are made of bamboo,
rattan, or a combination of the two. The most frequently utilized
construction technique entails plaiting, although wickerwork, twining,
or coiling are also employed. Typically in plaiting, two elements are
woven over and under each other at a right angle.
Ifugao’s Basketry
Tribes in Luzon

What are the Ivatan
Ivatans’ famous The Ivatans are from the province of Batanes, the
artwork? northernmost island in the country. The place is often

visited by typhoons as the island is surrounded with the
wide and turbulent seas. Many of them wear vakul,
an abaca fiber-made headgear, to protect them from the
sun and rain. Other body accessories popularly worn
by the Ivatans are seashells and pearls.
Vakul
Tribes in Luzon

What are the Ibanag
Ivanags’ famous The Ibanags, a dominant ethnic group in
artwork? Cagayan province, are mainly lowland farmers.
Many of them are excellent blacksmith.
Nowadays, they are still well known in making
good Bolos.
Bolos
Tribes in Luzon

What are the Gaddang
Gaddangs’ famous The Gaddangs weave their textile using fibers
from cotton, pineapple, and abaca. They are
artwork? fond of using colorful necklace, beadworks,
wristbands, and bracelets made of copper. In
ceremonies men wear loin clothes (dinega) a
small beaded jacket (koton) and cape (tapit),
while woman wore elaborate and decorative
(western inspired) clothing with beads, shell,
buttons, and coins
Gaddangs attire
Thank You!

Arts and Crafts of Luzon

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Arts and Crafts

Igorots Ibanag Ivatan Gaddang

Igorots Ibanag Ivatan Gaddang

artwork? northernmost island in the country. The place is often

Igorots Ibanag Ivatan Gaddang

Igorots Ibanag Ivatan Gaddang

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