RESEARCH DATA:

This textile from the collection is a loincloth or baal, which can also be used as a belt or balikes/barikes. It is commonly worn by Tinguian or Itneg men of Abra. The piece features five alternating thin stripes of indigo and red, woven from warp end to warp end. In addition, there are twelve red stripes grouped into pairs, creating six sections of two red stripes each. These sections separate the five indigo-red stripes. Thin yellow lines distinguish each of the thicker stripes from one another. Moreover, near the hemmed bottom ends of the loincloth, there are stripes of yellow with a textured brocade-woven zigzag pattern that resembles python skin (Respicio, 2000). These patterned stripes intersect horizontally with the base textile's stripes, creating a fading effect among the indigo and red stripes.