Ifugao Prestige Status Symbol Shell Belt and Buckle "Ginuttu"

Description

Ifugao prestige status symbol shell belt and buckle "Ginuttu" — one of the most highly prized heirlooms among the Ifugao, worn only by the kadangyan (upper class) as a sign of prestige.

The belt is worn only by men of the social elite, or kadangyan class; boys may wear one during and after their elevation to kadangyan rank. Its use is limited to festive occasions such as marriages, funeral rites, successful headhunting raid dances, and canyao ceremonies. The ginuttu is worn like an officer's sash, except the overlapping part is worn in front rather than at the side — fixed at the waist from roughly the right side to the upper part of the left thigh, then allowed to hang loose on the left.

Period/Date: Circa 1930s
Materials: rattan, shells, button made from carabao horn
Origin: Ifugao Tribe — Provenance: Ex-Bontoc Mayor, via Philippine tribal art dealer Mary Ngalawen
Approximate overall length: 45 inches; diameter of the upod: 5 inches; smallest shell 1 inch, biggest shell 2 inches
Reference: "Form & Splendor" by Roberto Maramba