Saol ansif (a)
LOCAL NAME:
Saol ansif (a)
ENGLISH NAME:
Blaan men’s embroidered shirt
DESCRIPTION:
Blaan, South Cotabato: Saol ansif
An abaca-woven shirt for men, adorned with embroidered motifs such as human-like figures, diamonds, Xs, lizards, and other abstract patterns in red, white, and yellow threads.
COMMONLY USED BY/IN:
Blaan, South Cotabato, Mindanao
MATERIAL COMPOSITION:
Abaca threads, Thread, Natural dye
ITEM CONSTRUCTION:
Plain weave, Dyeing, Embroidery, Stitching
DIMENSIONS:
Length
51 cm
Width
42 cm
Sleeves
42.5 cm
ACQUISITION YEAR:
2021
RESEARCH DATA:
This woven abaca (lutay) textile is an example of the Blaan men’s upper garment known as the saol ansif. It is fully embroidered using plain and dyed abaca threads. The embroidery features a variety of motifs, including geometric shapes such as diamonds and Xs, lizards (abkong), abstracted eagle wings at the back, and human-like forms. According to Reyes (1992), human figures, together with the crocodile motifs, are among the most dominant motifs used by the Blaan in garment decoration.
Ansif, the Blaan term for embroidery, together with tritik, is one of the common ornamentation techniques applied to Blaan garments (Reyes, 1992). These embroidery designs are typically concentrated on the shoulders, sleeves, wrists, side seams of the bodice, waist area, and the front of the shirt (Reyes, 1992).
REFERENCES: