Bu ’lul (e)
LOCAL NAME:
Bu’lul (e)
ENGLISH NAME:
Anthropomorphic figures
DESCRIPTION:
Assemblage of Ifugao anthropomorphic wooden figures known as bu’lul.
COMMONLY USED BY/IN:
Mountain Province, Ifugao, Kalinga
MATERIAL COMPOSITION:
Wood
ITEM CONSTRUCTION:
Woodcarving
DIMENSIONS:
a) 6 & 7
Height Left (male): 60.5 cm
Right (female): 61 cm
b) 8 & 9
Height Left : 45 cm
Right: 47.2 cm
c) 10 & 11
Height Left: 50 cm
Right : 48.5 cm
d) 12 & 13
Height Left (female) :
46 cm
Right (male): 49.5 cm
e) 14 & 15
Height Left (female):
34.5 cm
Right (male): 35 cm
f) 16 & 17
Height Left (female):
41 cm
Right (male): 40 cm
g) 18 & 19
Height Left (male):
53.5 cm
Right (female): 53 cm
ACQUISITION YEAR:
2021
RESEARCH DATA:
In Ifugao culture, anthropomorphic wood carvings are known as bu'lul. They are renowned figurative sculptures, presented in various positions and locales such as standing, seated, squatting, or even in dancing poses. Carved from a single piece of wood, bu'lul typically exhibits a stylized representation of the human body. Standing figures may have their hands hanging beside the body or resting on their knees, while seated figures often feature folded arms. These sculptures are commonly crafted in male and female pairs, with some also being androgynous (Palencia, 1998). Bu'luls hold significant importance in Ifugao society, serving as conduits through which deities and ancestral spirits are invoked. Ritual consecration of the sculptures involve the application of pig or chicken blood, resulting in a distinctive dark and stained patina.
REFERENCES: