Pinagpagan (h)
LOCAL NAME:
Pinagpagan (h)
ENGLISH NAME:
Blanket
DESCRIPTION:
Bontoc, Mountain Province: Pinagpagan
This woven blanket is made up of four panels. The two red side panels are identical, and the two white middle panels are also the same. The blanket includes different motifs, stripes, and tassels, and its main colors are indigo, red, and white.
COMMONLY USED BY/IN:
Bontoc, Mountain Province
MATERIAL COMPOSITION:
Cotton thread, Dye
ITEM CONSTRUCTION:
Weaving, Stitching
DIMENSIONS:
Length
215 cm
Width
145 cm
ACQUISITION YEAR:
2016
RESEARCH DATA:
The pinagpagan is a traditional blanket shared by various ethnolinguistic groups in the Cordillera, notably the Bontoc and Ifugao, among others. This particular pinagpagan from the collection is an example of the Bontoc variation. It features a range of motifs such as human figures, snakes, mortars, diamonds or eye-like designs (matmata), tiktiko (X) motifs, net-like patterns, and stripes. According to De Las Peñas and Salvador-Amores (2016), the depiction of a snake following a human figure signifies good luck for both the deceased and their living relatives.
The two side panels of the blanket are identical, mirroring the arrangement of stripes and motifs, and are predominantly in red and indigo. In contrast, the two middle panels are primarily white, with details and motifs rendered in indigo. These middle panels feature three bands of indigo stripes that run from one warp end to the other. Between these bands lies a frieze design composed of net-like patterns, matmata (eye-like or diamond) motifs, and tiktiko (X) motifs.
This type of blanket is one of those traditionally required during death ceremonies for a kachangyan, or wealthy person. It serves as an important component in death rituals, symbolizing the status and wealth of the deceased. According to Bontoc beliefs, such blankets help the spirits of ancestors recognize their deceased relatives in the afterlife (De Las Peñas & Salvador-Amores, 2016).
REFERENCES: