RESEARCH DATA:

A three-paneled wrap-around skirt or lufid from Bontoc, Mountain Province. It consists of three panels: two side panels featuring yellow brocade motifs of human figures (tagtakho) and zigzags (tiktiko), and a central panel, locally called pakhawa, with thick white, black, and red stripes (Gayagay, 2021). The central panel is woven with bright, thick brocade motifs of continuous zigzags and diamonds (matmata) in varying patterns. These motifs reflect the community's deep-rooted connection to the natural environment, as the tiktiko (zigzags) often represent mountains in their landscape. The diamonds (matmata) symbolize Lumawig, their god who watches over the community (Gayagay, 2021). This design signifies their reverence and belief in a protective eye from a deity that oversees all.