RESEARCH DATA:

Wooden ladles, commonly known as tawing or ladok (Applay), and inadu (Ifugao), take on the local name of fakong in Bontoc, Mountain Province. The fakong in this collection exhibits a distinct sitting anthropomorphic figure carving motif, reminiscent of its Ifugao counterparts.

Traditionally, wooden ladles serve the purpose of extracting or transferring food from cooking pots, as noted by Ellis in 1981. Some ladles also hold sentimental value as family heirlooms. Distinguishing heirloom ladles from new ones can be as simple as observing differences in color and texture. Notably, a ladle's age is discernible through wear and patina, encompassing surface scratches and dark pigmentations, as discussed by Ellis in 1981 and Mittersakschmoller in 2009.