Introduction:

We will be putting up for auction ~60 tribal pieces from the tribal regions in the Philippines, notably from the Mountain Province on Luzon but one or two from Mindanao. See these in Photos 11 to 14. Most of these antique primitive tribal pieces are from the so-called Ifugao people, the indigenous peoples of the Cordillera in northern Luzon, Philippines. These people are often referred to as the Cordilleran peoples. 

We lived in the Philippines for a decade beginning in 1985. Several times we visited the rugged Mountain Province in northern Luzon and the magnificent rice terraces there, north of Bagio City. Our interest in the life of these tribal peoples was piqued, and as a consequence we built up a modest collection of "primitive artifacts." This collection is wide, most is Colonial era of the early 20th century, it includes a magnificent plow, hut ladder, spear, drum, many baskets of various types and utilities, wooden bowls and other wooden objects some with animal or human forms, spoons, textiles, beaded bags, rattan woven hats worn by older men, a rice cutting tool, betel box, gong, and Bulul (rice god) figures on several.

We purchased most of these piece from 1986 to 1989. Almost all were purchased from highly reputable dealers, for example, The Tribal Arts House of Henry N. Beyer in Manila, Tawalisi Antiques of Maria Roxas in Manila, Tucucan Antiques in Bagio City, Artifact and Baskets of Mary Ngalawen in Manila, Herencia Arts & Antiques in Manila. We also purchased pieces at small local shops in Bontoc, the principal city in the Mountain Province.

Please read everything, ask questions, and request more pictures. If you are in Japan, China or the Philippines, and want to bid on a piece, please write to me before bidding. The shipping cost does not include for overseas shipping. An adjustment must be made to shipping. Also, I can combine shipping but the rate needs to reflect the larger shipping box and higher weight. We will ensure the piece is packed well.

The auction item:

This magnificent museum quality piece is an Ifugao hand-carved anthropomorphic standing wood Bulul or Rice Crop Guardian, ~33mm high x ~7.5mm wide x10mm wide (or 13"x3"x4"), The piece is tribal, primitive and ritual. The patina is excellent. See in Photos 1 to 10 for details. See the carved human form, some old and original black-yellow (some more orange and clear green) bead work around the neck and Bulul's left hand and a loin cloth from natural red dyed hand-woven fabric. See the long hair and carved loop at the back of the neck, to also hold the bead work. Notice the carved depression at the top of the head, used to place a few rice grains. Bul'uls are used in ceremonies associated with rice production and with healing. The creation of a bulul involves "alwen bulul" ritual by a priest to ensure that the statue gains power. The lines and standing form to the piece are elegant. Note the prominent block base and see in Photos 6 and 10 how a piece long ago was missing from the back right corner of the carved pedestal. The dense heavy piece of wood – not mahogany – used to carve this Bulul is dark, black-brown. We've seen it written that the dark color comes from ritual dipping in chicken or boar blood, which over time darkens the piece. And.or the color came from long use in a home (hut) at the rice granary with an open fire for heating and cooking. This piece is likely a Colonial era item, pre-WWII, an older pieces we acquired. We've owned it since the mid-1980s, ~40 years. The piece has received very little handling by us, just displayed in our home.

No pets, no smoking.

Our story:

We lived in the Philippines for nearly a decade beginning in 1985. From 1986 to 1989, we collected a number of old tribal artifacts. Our pieces were represented as being from the late 19th century to pre-WWII.  We are now selling these pieces as we downsize. We are not experts, we cannot authenticate our pieces. These pieces, the vast majority at least, look quite old. We genuinely believe these are vintage genuine pieces, each with their own charm. Just holding an item that may be 120 to 70 years old from the Mountain Provence of the Philippines makes for great conversation. 

Two sources we've relied on are, "The People and Art of the Philippines", by Father Gabriel Casal, Regalado Trota Jose, Jr. and others, 1981, Museum of Cultural History, University of California, Los Angeles. The second was published in July-August 1983, in Arts of Asia, "Northern Philippines Primitive Wooden Art," by Pynky Gomez Garcia, pages 84-93. 


Thank you for looking.