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Pinilian (Sinan-bayabas) (a)

LOCAL NAME:

Pinilian (Sinan-bayabas) (a)

ENGLISH NAME:

Blanket with guava leaves-like design.

DESCRIPTION:

Abra, Tinguian, & Itneg: Pinilian (Sinan-bayabas)
A three-paneled brocade-woven textile with guava leaf and rice mortar motifs. The panels were stitched together using a stylized alternating pattern of white and yellow embroidery, and the entire textile is embroidered with alternating white and yellow motifs.

COMMONLY USED BY/IN:

Abra, Tinguian, Itneg

MATERIAL COMPOSITION:

Cotton threads, Natural dye

ITEM CONSTRUCTION:

Brocade weave, Embroidery, Stitching, Dyeing

DIMENSIONS:

Length
188 cm

Width
126 cm

ACQUISITION YEAR:

2021

RESEARCH DATA:

Besides anthropomorphic and zoomorphic motifs, botanical motifs are also found in Abra textiles. The use of botanical motifs reflects this significance to the community. For instance, this textile from the collection features the sinan-bayabas or binaybayabas (guava, Psidium guajava L.) motif. Guava is an American native shrub and was among the trees introduced by the Spaniards to the Philippines in the early 1600s. Based on Cole’s (1922) account, guava grows wild and in great abundance in the mountains of Abra. They added that it is also among the most important trees for the Itneg, as they consume it for food and use it for medicinal purposes. Small rice mortar motifs in relief are also incorporated into the textile, alongside the guava motifs. Moreover, the textile’s borders and panels are embellished with embroidery and stylized joinery, respectively.

REFERENCES:

Cole, F.C. (1922). The Tinguian: social, religious, and economic life of a Philippine tribe. Publications of the Field Museum of natural history. Anthropological series, 14(2), 231–493.

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