RESEARCH DATA:

The Bugkalot women’s traditional attire is called the agemet, which consists of a skirt and a blouse (The Bugkalot Tribe of the Philippines: History, Culture & Art, Language, Customs, and Tradition [Philippine Indigenous People | Ethnic Group], n.d.). Their blouse is locally known as the anseng, a type of blouse that exposes the wearer’s abdomen or midriff (The Bugkalot Tribe of the Philippines: History, Culture & Art, Language, Customs, and Tradition, n.d.). While the Bugkalot do not traditionally weave, acquiring textiles instead through trade, they skillfully create the vibrant and detailed embellishments on their garments.

This blouse from the collection is an example of the more common red-colored anseng, featuring intricate embroidery. Typical of Bugkalot garments, this anseng is heavily embellished with coiled brass wires and mother-of-pearl shell platelets used as pendants, particularly along the bottom edge, the sleeve ends, near the neckline, and across the body of the garment.