Pinilian (Kinarkarayan ken sinan-ugsa)
LOCAL NAME:
Pinilian (Kinarkarayan ken sinan-ugsa)
ENGLISH NAME:
Blanket with river and deer design
DESCRIPTION:
Abra, Tinguian, Itneg, Ilocos, & Ilocano: Pinilian (Kinarkarayan ken ugsa)
A three-paneled blanket with a white base color and indigo riverine patterns and zoomorphic motifs.
COMMONLY USED BY/IN:
Abra, Tinguian, Itneg, Ilocos, Ilocano
MATERIAL COMPOSITION:
Cotton thread, Natural dye
ITEM CONSTRUCTION:
Brocade weave, Embroidery, Stitching
DIMENSIONS:
Length
153 cm
Width
123.5 cm
ACQUISITION YEAR:
2021
DISPLAY STATUS:
BURC
RESEARCH DATA:
This blanket from the collection is a dinapat textile featuring indigo zigzag river-like (sinan-karayan) patterns and (sinan-ugsa) deer-like motifs. The patterns and motifs in this textile exhibit reflective symmetry, with both upper and lower, left and right parts of the blanket mirroring each other. According to Salvador-Amores and De Las Peñas (2019), this type of symmetry is a defining characteristic of dinapat textiles, with both its horizontal and vertical axis passing through the center (p. 98). Dinapat textiles are a form of pinilian or woven textiles that undergo a pre-selection process of warp threads before weaving (Pastor-Roces, 1991). This makes the patterns and motifs appear “floating” or embossed on the surface of the cloth. Moreover, the designs are arranged in a way where there are “no spaces” put in between unlike other pinilian blankets. According to Respicio (2000), the ugsa (deer) is associated with the alan, or the spirit deities. In Itneg traditional belief, the deity Makaboteng or Sanadan is summoned when there are scarcity of deers (Cole 1922, 299). Nevertheless, textiles with depictions of deers, carabao calves, horses, and human figures are ceremonial in nature and are used by the affluent class (Salvador-Amores & De Las Peñas, 2019, p. 98).
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