357. Igorot Art: MAN ON A CARABAO

There was a time that it was fashionable for every home to have a woodcarved souvenir from the northern highlands. Baguio in the 1930s had many homegrown shops that sold carved figures of wood, created by skilled, yet self-taught Igorot natives.

The best-sellers were the ubiquitous giant spoon and fork that hanged on dining room walls. Then, there were also the ethnic tribal busts, always carved in pair--an Igorot and an Igorota--hewn from medium and heavy wood. The spear-wielding full body carving of an Igorot headhunter holding the head of his dismembered victim, was also a favorite piece.This 1950s figure, showing a man astride a carabao,  is less commonly seen. It almost looks like a lowland Filipiniana piece, until one sees the rider dressed in loin-cloth, clearly a mountain man from Igorotlandia.

It is a meticulously crafted piece--from the facial detailing of the man with his saucer-bowl haircut, to the carabao's furry hide, accomplished  by scratching the body with thousands of shallow knife marks. Mid-century decorative pieces such as this have started appearing in antique stores, as more traditional ethnic carvings such become scarcer. They are still plentiful and cheap--but look for the ones made of heavy wood and with characteristic minute detailing. Commercial figural vintage Igorot carvings are the new "bulols"!

348. MUNTING CHERUBIMS: Winged Antique Fragments

Picked these pair of wooden cherubims for free--they're just, well, angelic! They're probably parts of an antique santo peana (base for a saint's statue) that were detached, due to age and time, not too old, maybe just 30-40 years old. Even then, they're quite well-made, with many little details like their pudgy cheeks and curly curls. They even retain their original gold paint--although one has been painted over, recently. Right now, they have been repurposed as Christmas tree ornaments, lending an old-world charm to my holiday decorations!

332. Advertiques: PHILLIPS PETROLEUM 66

Loyalty has its privileges, indeed. I bought a few items from an antique dealer recently and he gave me this freebie--a  rather large wooden sign of Phillips Petroleum 66. The energy company was founded  by Lee Eldas "L.E." Phillips and Frank Phillips of Oklahoma in 1917.

A shield logo was created in 1930 for its link to the famous highway of the same number, with a black and orange color scheme that would last nearly 30 years. In 1959, Phillips introduced a revised version of the shield in red, white and black, a color scheme still used by Phillips 66 Co. for the brand. Vintage Phillips signs are highly collectible and many reproductions exist. This wooden sign is definitely a local fantasy version, with cut-out letters and carved background (there's a missing piece below). It must have hanged in a private bar or used to decorate a den or a man-cave. I haven't gotten around to restoring it--it is just stashed away in my garage-- to remind me that once upon a time, petrol was so cheap, that everyone on Route 66 was screaming--"Step on the gas!".

319. FILIPINIANA TRINKET BOX

Now here's a tiny trinket box--with dimensions of just  4 in. x 6 in. x 2.5 in.--made of narra, decorated with a relief carving of a farmer taking rest under a mango tree from his day's toil. Across the dirst road stands his nipa hut, shaded by a coconut tree, and flanked by a haystack. Looming in the horizon is a mountain. Souvenir carvings bearing Filipiniana motifs such as this were much in demand by tourists--and this box was especially made to cater to such market. Handicraft centers in Manila, as well as in Pampanga (for the U.S. market ) thrived till the 70s--offering similar items as monkeypod carvings, wall plaques (featuring farmers, dancers), ethnic busts, carved Filipinana chests (our versions of camphor chests) as well as lazy Susans. Today, a few shops exists, selling cottage industry products along the streets of Ermita, and in Angeles City, Pampanga--but the quality has really matched those made in the 50s, when even small items such as this trinket box, were handcarved with fine details, and finished so handsomely.

276. The Bangkal Picker: TIPOS DEL PAIS CARVINGS

One of my most recent exciting finds from Bangkal is this lovely pair of tipos del pais carvings, made from batikuling and standing about 18 inches high. The above photo shows them in restored condition; the farmer figure originally had a broken salakot, and a few missing teeth on his wooden harrow. The woman vendor, on the other hand, had a broken finger. I found these two, largely ignored by buyers, on a table together with newer Nativity figures.

As you can see, they are realistically carved with rich details, right down to the texture of the woman's saya and the fruits on her bilao. Both figures stand on a carved, framed base. I have no idea where these came from, or how old they are, but they seem to be from the 50s. These were definitely made for the tourist market, perhaps made in the tourist area of Mabini, or from caring centers in Pampanga and Paete. Originally priced at Php 2000, I managed to bring down the price to Php1,800.

A few days after their restoration, I chanced upon this picture from a Pampanga dealer, taken over 15 years ago. He kept tab of his sold items by taking photos of them. I was amazed at the similarity of these carved figures with mine; the woman represented a female vendor, while the man seem to be a fisherman carrying a net. Even the bases are identica--both are framed with a differnt wood molding. The dealer told me he sold these pre-war pieces for Php40,000, quite a sizeable amount 15 years ago. This validates that, indeed, I am now an owner of a pair of carved treasures--the only difference being the price at which I got them. That's why if you have the patience to scrounge and dig around the junk heaps of Bangkal, you are certain to find your own surprise treasure too--at a price you can afford!.

270. Keep on Truckin': FARGO TOY WOODEN TRUCK

I chanced upon an amazing vintage toy shop at the famed Cubao Expo just 3 weeks ago--and boy, was I in luck! It was on a Sunday, and the store was supposed to be closed--but by chance, the shop owner was around, about to be interviewed for some TV feature.Seeing the door open, I insinuated myself in while the TV crew was preparing their equipment. Immediately, I saw this wooden blue and red truck, with handwritten sign that identified it as belonging to Fargo Trucking.

It assumed that this nice toy truck was an advertising giveaway of some sorts, a premium given to loyal clients. I tried googling the company name, but couldn't find this trucking that touted its incredible delivery destinations with confidence-- "Manila--to Any Point on Earth!". It's a well-made toy, with wooden wheels that roll perfectly and with an open-box bed hinged at the rear that can be lifted. I would probably date this to the 70s, an example of a rare advertising premium made in the Philippines!

255. KWARTA AT KAHON!

Who wouldn't be charmed by this folksy money box? Not only does it have a lot of character in its simple floral carving, but it also comes complete with its own antique key.

In the good old days, before the age of safes and banks, our grandparents kept anything of value in wooden boxes such as this--money, loose change, pieces of jewelry, watches, small, but important documents--maybe even dentures! I have seen wooden cigar cases converted into money boxes, but this box, which probably dates to the 50s, is all hand-made.

The box has shallow compartments for sorting out things, and now it serves as a hiding place for my old medals and antique coins. It's a great example of functional folk art at its best!

252. What Is It?: A MOLD? A MASHER? A KITCHEN TOOL?

 A dealer in Bulacan threw this object for free, after I made several purchase at his shop. It's a wooden, cylindrical item with what seems to be a handle gouged out, at the top. It is dated 1926, as one can see, and the words "Andrea G. Del Pilar, Pilpiltan, Bul.(acan)" are incised along the rim of the circular top.

I was told by the dealer that this came from a bakery, and this was in fact, a masher, used in kneading dough. I was not convinced because rolling pins were known in the Philippines  even in the 20s. Besides, holding this wooden implement was kind of difficult as I could hardly grasp the hollowed-out handle on top.

In another shop, some months later, I found a similar object, with the same hollowed-out oval top to be used in holding the object. This one, though, had no carving. The shop owner, this time, told me that it was a mold for the top part of a buri hat--or maybe that of the famous Baliwag hat, made in these parts of Bulacan in the 30s. I think that was a more plausible explanation, even if I felt that the circumference of the all-wood object  was too small for an adult head (around 7 inches in diameter). Maybe this was for a kiddie size hat, no? If you have any idea what this item is, I would appreciate it you could just post your answers (and guesses) here.

244. SANICULAS COOKIE MOLDS

The celebrated miraculous bread, known as “panecillos de San Nicolas”, is known simply in Pampanga as “saniculas’. There used to be a ritual blessing of the cookies before they are distributed, although this tradition is now rarely practiced, saved for some Recollect parishes like San Sebastian where saniculas are still blessed during Masses.The cookie itself is made using age-old techniques and ingredients like arrowroot flour (uraro), eggs, lard, dalayap (lemon rind) and coconut milk.

The “saniculas” wooden moulds which are used to impress the dough with the distinctive imprint are interesting kitchen artifacts themselves. They are often commissioned from Betis and Bacolor carvers, and although the designs vary, the moulds always have the abstracted figure of the saint in the center, surrounded by floral, vegetal and curlicue patterns.

Kapampangan cooks treasure these uniquely-designed wooden molds, which commonly came as single blocks. Some have back-to-back designs, but most are often carved with the owner’s initials. As fine examples of folk art, “saniculas” moulds have also found their way in antique shops.

233. CHASING MARIA CLARA

This picture showing a beautiful pair of Filipiniana busts was sent by phone to me for my consideration by my antique dealer from Bulacan. One look and I knew these were very rare pieces--and very old. The almost identical busts show two Filipinas in a typical Maria Clara outfit, characterized by a stiff panuelo, covering their camisa. One of the ladies has her head in a more tilted position and is about half an inch shorter, but both are carved similarly, right down to the hair caught in a bun at the back. There are polychrome traces on these fine softwood carvings.

I agreed with my dealer to see the busts up close on a Friday, as I really don't buy items without first seeing them--especially at the price he wanted. But towards the week, he phoned again to tell me that the middleman peddling the busts was pulling them out from his shop (he was taking them to Manila)--and asked f I could see them before Friday. That proved impossible for me, as I was still at work in Makati, so sadly, I passed them up. But the images of these rare Filipiniana pieces kept haunting me.

Next thing I knew, the pair appeared in an online shop in just a matter of days--sulit.com.ph--advertised by a Manila dealer. I quickly got in contact with the dealer and confirmed that the pair was still up for grabs. There was only one catch though--the original price had doubled! But at that point, i didn't care--the rarity of these pieces told me they were still worth much, much more.

I surmised that these were not commercially sold pieces but commissioned works from some sculptor meant to grace a grand old bahay na bato. Their faces might have even been modelled from real Filipina ladies, sisters perhaps. Another possibility was that these were works of an advanced art student, projects of his sculpting class. The details are impeccable, right down to the turned pedestals and the lacey like edgings of the ladies' panuelo.

 But there was one more catch before I could even go check them out at the dealer's place: one bust had been sold. I would have wanted to get the pair, but I was still in luck: since I got to the dealer's place first, I had the first option to choose the bust of my preference. Of course, I picked the taller one, all 23 inches tall, showing a more mature lady of refinement and wealth. So ends my successful chase for this bust that had been the object of my fascination for a week--Maria Clara was mine to keep!

223. A PAIR OF CARVED IGOROT BUSTS

I found this mid-century pair of carved Igorot (people of Northern Luzon, in the Philippines)  busts on ebay, of all places. They were being offered by a collector who had an amazing ethnic and tribal collection from the world over. One look and I knew these pieces were the works of a master carver.

The details are simply incredible---the features are very lifelike, capturing realistically the facial features of the hardy Igorot. The hair strands are carved very finely, individually and the proportions are perfect.

These heavy, hardwood busts are also replete with such accessoriess as big earrings, which were part of an Igorot's traditional get-up. The earring were carved separately and installed in the drooping ears of the figures. The Igorota sports strings of beads looped into her hair, while his male counterpart wears a wrap-around headgear.

Carvings such as these were very popular in the 1930s, sold primarily as souvenir items from the mountain highlands. The peak of woodcarving skills was in the 1950s, the decade in which these handsome pair were carved. They must have come from a premier shop in Manila, as these were commercially stamped with "Made in the Philippines".

These 13" busts retain their dark, rich patina indicating their age. They must have been lovingly polished and cared for thru the years, displayed in an American home, a reminder of a far-away trip in the cool northern mountains of tropical Philippines.  As one who lived and studied in Baguio, I was drawn to these busts, not just for the artistry they convey but also for the nostalgia they evoke of my memorable years up the mountains.