RESEARCH DATA:

This textile is a loincloth for men, featuring lattice-like diamond patterns at the bottom ends in supplementary weft and vertical narrow stripes designs in violet and indigo. The diamond-like patterns are said to represent python scales or skin (Respicio, 2000), which is a prominent woven design in Itneg/Tinguian skirts and loincloths. It has a background in unique shades of violet, adorned with distinctive embroideries in lilac depicting both anthropomorphic figures and botanical forms. The botanical forms are located on the side edges, locally known as kuko-palay, meaning “fingernails and rice stalks” (Respicio, 2015). The human figures take on two poses or variants: one appears to have its arms at its waist, while the other has its arms raised or outstretched upward. Embroidery is an observed weaving tradition among the Itneg or Tinguian people, with motifs ranging from frogs (tokak), rice plants (pagay), mountains, and finger-like (sinan-ramay) or nails (sinan-koko) embroidery.