BASKETRY

-Michelle D. Tuguinay
 BASKETRY
Basketry – the art and craft of
making interwoven objects,
usually containers, from flexible
vegetable fibers, such as twigs,
grasses, bamboo or from plastic
or other synthetic materials. The
containers made by this method
are called baskets.
BASKETRY
Basket weaving is the process of
weaving or sewing pliable
materials into three-dimensional
artifacts, such as baskets, mats,
mesh bags or even furniture.
Craftspeople and artists
specialized in making baskets
may be known as basket makers
and basket weavers. Basket
weaving is also a rural craft.
★ The Philippine collection at the
Milwaukee Public Museum
offers 235 basketry items, a
selection of which is shown
later on. Ten islands and 27
municipalities of the Philippine
archipelago are represented in
the collection.
Is the largest art museum in the state of
Wisconsin, housing collection of more then
30, 000 works and hosting an impressive
lineup of internationally regarded exhibitions.

The primary purpose of the Milwaukee Public

Museum is to preserve our historical and
scientific heritage through collection and
exhibition.
Nearly half of the
basketry in the
Museum's collections is
from Luzon Island,
though all the major
islands are
represented.
Numerous indigenous groups
make up the Philippines. The
majority of the collection
comes from Luzon Island and
within Luzon; most of the
basketry comes from the
"Igorot" (Mountain) groups,
including the Bontoc,
Kalinga, Ifugao, and others.
★ The collection consists of
baskets, traps, and hats.
Baskets served to transport
food to and from the fields,
as well as to store food and
clothing.
 Basketry styles differ by island,
region, and ethnic group:

★ the baskets from Mindanao,

for instance, are often very
distinctive from those of
Luzon. As objects of practical
art, however, Philippine
baskets are defined by
function rather than form
 Multiple uses
★ Baskets range in form and size, from
portable lunch containers to woven jars.
Winnowing trays, carrying baskets, and
covered containers allowed people to
harvest, transport, store, and serve food
and crops. Basketry hats and rain capes
protected against sun and rain.
 Backpack with lid
(sangi)
Luzon Cordillera, Philippines
plaited construction
rattan

A plaited backpack with a lid, features a

heavy, rattan shoulder strap. Men
normally use the sangi for carrying a
wide variety of items: rice, meat, beans,
lunch, tools, and even on occasion, small
children. Cordillera men find it especially
handy for carrying needed items when
going on trips or to work.
 Carrying basket for sweet potatoes
(balyag) 20th century
Ifugao, Luzon Cordillera, Philippines
plaited construction
rattan

★ Balyag is a tall quadriform burden

basket with a square profile and whole
rattan post at the base as extended feet.
★ The balyag serves as a transport basket
for different types of produce like
camote (sweet potato)
★ It is similar to the ibaloy’s kayabang.
 Backpack Pasiking Sangi
20th century
Bontoc Igorot
split cane

★ Late 20th century Bontoc Igorot

backpack locally known as "Sangi"
or "Pasiking" made from split
rattan with bamboo
reinforcements at the base. This is
an everyday backpack used to
carry man's belonging, food and
etc.
 Basket for roasted unripe rice
(kulikug) 20th century
★ Bontoc, Luzon Cordillera, Philippines
plaited construction
bamboo, rattan
This uniquely shaped basket is designed to store
roasted green rice, a popular snack. Rice grains
are harvested before fully ripened while still soft.
Next, they are roasted and pounded in the rice
mortar to remove the hull. This flattens the soft
grain, which is eaten without cooking. The closed
form of the basket helps to keep the grains soft,
as they quickly harden with exposure to air.
 Ifugao, Luzon Cordillera, Philippines
Woman’s basket and rain cape sewn construction
pandanus leaf, rattan
(tudung) 20th century

★ Women in many parts of Luzon use a trough-shaped carrying

basket or tudung constructed of a layer of pandanus leaves (ga-
ad in Ifugao) sandwiched between inner and outer frameworks of
rattan. In most places in the Cordillera, women are primarily
responsible for planting and transplanting rice, weeding, and
harvesting. Tudung are particularly useful for transporting wet rice
seedlings at transplanting time. These baskets are also made in
smaller sizes for carrying a variety of produce.
 Locust storage basket Bontoc, Luzon Cordillera, Philippines
twined construction
(iwus) 20th century bamboo, rattan

★ In the past, swarms of locusts frequently appeared in the

highlands. Armed with nets, men, women, and children would
capture the insects. The locusts were kept alive in jar-like baskets
with open-slatted sides or net-like bottoms for ventilation.
Locusts were then roasted or boiled and the insects’ wings and
legs removed; finally, they might be dried in the sun. This
Bontoc iwus has tightly-slatted sides with ventilation provided at
the top of the basket.
BALANG- a large insect found in hot areas that
flies in large groups and destroys plants and crops.
 Hunter’s backpack Ifugao
Luzon Cordillera, Philippines
plaited construction
(inabnūtan) 1982 rattan, abnut fiber from the bangi palm

★ Basketry containers historically played an important role not only in

agriculture, but also hunting and gathering. Hunters embarked on
their expeditions with plaited backpacks. One version of the Ifugao
backpack, called inabnūtan, is covered with a thick overlay of palm
fibers that repel rain. On the outbound journey, the pack held the
hunter’s provisions, including, perhaps, a jar of rice beer with which
to make an offering to insure a successful hunt. If luck and skill
prevailed, the men returned to the village with their packs filled with
meat.
 Ifugao, Luzon Cordillera, Philippines
Chicken coop (ubi) plaited construction
rattan, wood

★ Baskets used in the Cordillera often protect and transport domestic

animals. Commonly raised animals in the region include chickens,
pigs, goats, and cattle. Chickens and pigs, considered the most
important of these animals, are carefully tended. Among the Ifugao,
for example, the owner knows every single chicken in his flock.
Chickens roam freely during the day; but at night, their owners
gather them in special basketry coops called ubi . They hang the
basketry coops high above the ground under the eaves of the house
to protect the chickens from rats, cats, and thieves.
 Kankanay, Luzon Cordillera, Philippines
Basket (kamuwan) plaited construction
bamboo, rattan

★ After rice is processed, it is either cooked in

boiling water or stored for later use. This
Kankanay kamuwan has lizard-shaped
handles, a decorative touch widely copied in
recent years by basket makers in the
commercial trade. A kamuwan of this size can
hold more rice than is needed for daily
consumption; so it most likely was used in
preparation for a celebration involving many
guests.
 Ibaloi
Benguet, Luzon Cordillera, Philippines
Carrying basket for sweet plaited construction
rattan, wood
potatoes (kayabang)

★ KAYABANG is a carrying basket originally

woven and worn by the women in
Benguet, Philippines. It is made of rattan
and is strapped at the back of the women
head and is used to carry root crops,
vegetables and fruits harvested from the
farm.
“TINGKOP” It is a type of
Palawan traditional basket
made by the “Palaw’an tribe”.
It is one of the unique heritage
art and craft original in
Palawan and mostly seen in
the mountains of the south,
like Bataraza, Rizal, Quezon,
Brookespoint, Palawan.It is
made of hard-strip bamboo.
The tingkop also wields a
significant role in ritual use.
Small tingkops carrying amulets
are worn by Palawan hunters
around their neck to attract
success in their hunts. It also
used in rituals to call upon
spirits for the Palawan believe
that only smaller tingkop can
contain the spirits’ strength.
Iraya baskets made of nito vine, this
handwoven product serves as a
multipurpose basket or container.
Produced by local craftspeople of the
Iraya-Mangyan community of Puerto
Galera. Baskets can be functional and
aesthetical in usage. Practically, it is
commonly used for storing,
containing, and carrying several
objects that can fit in it.
 BASKETRY
TECHNIQUES &
MATERIALS
 Philippines baskets are constructed
from bamboo and rattan and often
a combination of the two
★ Philippines baskets are constructed from
bamboo and rattan and often a
combination of the two. Plaiting and
twining produces a wide range of sizes
and forms. Filipinos use baskets for
transportation and farm work, food
service and storage, fishing and trapping,
clothing, and to carry personal items.
 PLAITING WEAVING
★ The plaiting weaving process
consists of passing thick strips of
basket materials under and over
each other, making for an elegant
pattern that resembles a
checkerboard pattern. Unlike other
basket weaving techniques that
result in round baskets, the
plaiting technique breeds
rectangular or square ones.
 Twining weaving process

★ Warp twining is a weaving technique in

which two or more warp threads twist
around each other as they interlace with
the weft. Warp twining can be done in
two ways: using both hands when
twisting warp threads or using tablets
(tablet weaving)
Tablet weaving
Storage baskets
TAMPIPI
★ -native, small clothes
trunk or chest, made
of bamboo, rattan, or a
certain kind of palm
leaves.
 Tampipi (storage)

★ Household items are secured

in baskets. Clothing and
blankets are kept fresh and
dry in lidded containers. A
tampipi is a common basket
type for storing clothing and
blankets.
Food Gathering & Preparation
 Winnowing trays (Food Gathering &
Preparation)
★ Winnowing trays are used to
separate rice from its hull. Serving
trays present rice and other foods
for consumption. The baskets
shown here are from the Bontoc
Igorot people of the mountain area
of Luzon Island. Fish traps are
placed in swift flowing streams and
simpler baskets are used to carry
crops from the field to home or
market.
Personal Baskets
 Topil/tupil (Personal Baskets)
★ Bontoc men carry tobacco and other
personal belongings in small bags
shaped to fit beneath the arm (upper).
Often compartmentalized, these bags
include a "secret" compartment where
valuables can be stored. Meals are
transported in tightly woven
lunchboxes called topil. Jewelry and
other personal items are stored in
small, covered baskets of subtle design.
Inabuntan or hunter's pack (Transportation)
 Inabuntan or hunter's pack.
(Transportation)

★ Unique to northern Luzon

Island is the inabuntan or
hunter's pack. It is
constructed to be rain
resistant, providing a dry
storage space for hunting
gear and game.
 Hats
★ Bamboo and rattan
hats vary in shape,
size, and design, but
all function to protect
the wearer from sun
and rain.
 Suklang or Falaka (hats)

★ These small, round hats were worn not

on the top, but at the back of the head.
To hold them in place, a fine cord went
under the front of men's hair fringe (until
the early twentieth century, Bontok men
wore their hair long with a fringe). Their
primary function was to serve as a
pocket or bag to hold matches or flint,
tobacco, pipes, betel nut, leaves, lime,
etc.
 Sulpak (Hat)
★ Hat with simple weave of jute.
Only bands (are) brass. Holes
for stringer of beads, which are
wanting Small flat pill box.
With decorative bands of brass.
On edge of outside is an added
rim of 3 bands of brass held on
rim of bamboo with wrapping
of jute fibers.
★ Suklong or Sulpak,bachelors
hat for the unmarried man for
the Gaddangs,but for the
kalinga's,it is used as hat for
the rich man.
 Salakot (hat)
★ The salakot is a traditional,
wide-brimmed hat worn in
the Philippines. They were
made with many different
materials and worn by all
classes. This example is
woven from rattan, bamboo,
and nito vines, and decorated
with a silver spike and
mounts.
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LISTENING