RESEARCH DATA:

Beads convey prestige, wealth, and beauty. Among the Kalinga, these beads, whether strung or individual, hold significant economic, historical, and aesthetic value and function (Abellera 1981, 151). In contemporary times, although their meaning and value have fluctuated due to external and modern influences, they remain as vestiges of our vibrant trading history and a reflection of the Kalinga way of life and artistry.
This beadwork was restrung by Patis Tesoro, drawing inspiration from traditional Kalinga necklace designs made from beads locally known as bongor. The composition is dominated by yellow beads, or morda-u, made of opaque glass, layered with blue and aquamarine translucent glass beads called bitug and inasi (Abellera 1981, 169). Thin metal sheets inserted between the beads enhance this layering. At the centerpiece, translucent rounded and cylindrical red beads, identified as carnelian and locally called aruba are found.