RESEARCH DATA:

There are many variations of blouses worn by Tboli women, and the kegal nisif/nesif, or embroidered blouse, is one of these. Kegal is the generic term for blouse, while nisif or nesif is the local term for embroidery (Pastor-Roces, 1991). At the time of Casal’s writing (1978), this blouse was commonly worn by middle-aged and younger women and was paired with a red or black skirt purchased from “lowlanders’ stores” in the region (p. 40). In terms of design, no two blouses of the same type are said to have identical patterns, although they adhere to a recognizable “Tboli style” (Casal, 1978, p. 38). Typical of this blouse type, as seen in this example, are embroidered stylized animals (bakong) and human figures (hakang), interspersed with rows or bands of zigzag motifs (Casal, 1978). Red cloth appliqués outlining the bodice and sections of the sleeves provide a striking contrast to the otherwise prominent black or blue background of the blouse.