Ilongot Skull Armband Black Background

Description

Ilongot Skull Armband Black Background — a collectible item from our curated catalog. Part of the Philippine Tribal Arts catalog (Zen Images) (1 photo available) — condition and provenance details to be confirmed by seller.

History & Background:
19th Century hand made woven rattan connected to wild cat "motit" skull by a brass flat sheet structure, skillfully decorated with traditional dangling pendants made of brass and copper wires with delicately cut small serrated pieces of mother-of-pearl carefully accented with usual Ilongot bead colors - blue, white, red and black. In excellent condition. This pair of armband is very special and it comes with the hornbill or monkey skull headress and the hornbill earrings as these are only worn by a very brave warrior who had somehow made an honor to the village, a warrior who has taken many enemy heads and an elite leader. The wearing of such ornament evokes fear from the enemy, respect and adoration from the women and youths and pride from the villagers, it also evokes prowess of both physical and mental ability. It was made to perfectly fit the owner. Materials used are very very scarce to the Ilongots except the rattan and the animal skulls which can easily be found on the mountains and creating it is difficult with lack of tools and such thus they are only worn by Ilongot warriors who are wealthy or those who deserved to be presented with it. The pair of skull armband is made of a male and female wild cat and it has been made and decorated differently. The brass flat sheet of the male is slightly longer than the female, unlike the female it has bead strings connected to the jaw, and they used different color of beads. I don't know if the differences of sizes, beads and color used or design applied to each armband has significance as Ilongots proven how very detailed they do their arts. The red and white beads used on both skull noses may have an explanation. Red for them is a highly charged color stirring one to passion, anger energy. The color white was also said to have a magical influence on the anitos (spirits). Both has an inner diameter of 3.5" Measurement of wild cat skulls (back of head to front) Male: 4 inches female: 3.4 inches Items measurement The height and width of the two armband differs because of their different head and flat sheet size height: 4.5-4.7 inches width: 7-7.5 inches The ilongots refer to themselves as quirungut which means "from the forest". Accordingly there are only 2000 - 3,500 Ilongots inhabiting a forested area in southern vizcaya province. Since Spanish times Ilongots have been notorios as ferocious and intransigent headhunters, In the eighteent century, Augustinian missions were established, then abruptly withrawn. No effective administration was established in this area until the american occupation, Ilongots made banner headlines in 1910 with the murder of Chicago Field Museum anthropologist William Jones and in the 1950's, when a rash of heads were taken from lowlanders and between Ilongot groups. Headhunting was a central to their culture and their identity. headhunting was expected of all men, preferably before marriage. it marked a change to adult status and endowed the youth with the right to wear cowrie shells, head feathers and red hornbill ornaments. Without such ornaments a male Ilongot is considered "empty handed," their dress is "incomplete." To win the admiration of eligible girls and later to court and marry them was considered unthinkable without these ornaments. Headtaking gave glory and reputations to the youths and prestige to the village in general. (Form and Splendor by Roberto Maramba)