RESEARCH DATA:

Soklong (suklong) is one of the few baskets made in the Cordillera Region using the coiling technique in Sagada and Bontoc, Mountain Province. Soklong’s structure varied from village to village. Some variations have a tuft of either horse or human hair attached to its top (Sagada variant), while others have completely different structures and techniques of construction. A soklong like this one from the collection is particularly a married man’s hat, commonly referred to as the Bontoc married man’s hat (Jenks, 1905, as cited in Hamilton, 1998). Compared to other soklongs, which are more intricate and adorned with more accessories, the married man’s soklong is simpler in terms of its design. The more adorned soklongs are commonly used by men to express their bachelor status.

REFERENCES:

Anderson, E. M., & van den Muijzenberg, O. D. (2010). In the shape of tradition: Indigenous art of the northern Philippines. Netherlands: Zwartenkot Art Books.

Maramba, R. (1998). Form and Splendor: Personal Adornment of Northern Luzon. Manila: Bookmark Inc.