Palangapang (Item 1)

Description

Palangapang — an authentic Philippine tribal antique from the Ifugao collection. Part of the Philippine Tribal Arts catalog (Antiques & Artifacts / Ifugao). Photographed from multiple angles (6 photos available) — condition and provenance details to be confirmed by seller.

History & Background:
AUTHENTIC IFUGAO MOTHER OF PEARL NECKLACE "PALANGAPANG" This shell necklace is considered a traditional Ifugao wealth object worn by both male and female, and is regarded as one of the most valued pieces of jewelry among the Ifugao — not many families possess one. The shell chokers' function was to impress, serving as a status symbol; the scarcity of large pieces of mother-of-pearl in the region, combined with the difficulty of grinding, drilling, and polishing them with primitive tools, secured their prestige and limited their use to the elite and very wealthy (Ref: Roberto Maramba, Form and Splendor). The earliest written sighting of these ornaments dates to 1887, when Dr. Alexander Schadenberg, a German scientist who visited the Cordillera, described natives who "decorate the arms and ankles with rings or heavy brass wire, their necks with square pieces of mother of pearl fastened to a string through two holes." (Ref: Roberto Maramba, Form and Splendor)