RESEARCH DATA:

The use of body adornments and ornaments by the Ilongot, also known as the Bugkalot, conveys the social status, wealth, and power of the wearer within the community (Carlson, 2014). Materials like glass beads are noted by Carlson (2014) to most likely have been manufactured outside the Philippine archipelago and traded from coastal communities, while materials such as shells and metals are locally collected and produced. Bugkalot adornments generally show that brass materials, in the forms of coils, plates, and wires, are commonly utilized as embellishing elements and/or support structures for the adornments. This item from the collection is a pair of leglets made of coiled rattan strips and covered with brass wires. The incorporation of brass wires that coil the rattan material not only adds to the overall aesthetic of the adornment but also serves as support to maintain the circular shape of the leglet.

REFERENCES:

Carlson, S. E. (2014). From the Philippines to the Field Museum: A study of Ilongot (Bugkalot) adornment. CrissCross, 1 (1), 1-59.