Kalinga
- Reniel Ilagan
- Aug 16, 2021
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 19, 2021
Esteemed as “the strong people of the Cordilleras”, Kalingans, simultaneously, profoundly cherish family and kinship.
They settled on the leveled or terraced areas on the slopes of steep mountains near rivers and streams with free, clear, running water through the Chico, Pasig, Tanduan rivers with wide plateaus and floodplains, as well as, large portions of open grasslands. (Brigornia, 2011)
Weaving
Kalinga weaves is originally from Lubuagan, but it is popular all over the said province. The weavers produce handwoven fabrics for variety of uses, from clothing and ritual use to commercial products used in making house decors, souvenirs, bags and accessories.
Weaving Technique
The village of Mabilong in the town of Lubuagan, is known to be the major weaving center in Kalinga. The weavers of Mabilong are known for backstrap weaving techniques. Both women and male family members have their part in the activity. As soon as the women are finished weaving a piece of fabric, the men step in and stitch the designs.
Designs
The symbols below are the geometric motifs of the weaves and their implication to the lives of the Kalinga.
Kalinga weaves’ design motifs and symbols are inspired from the elements in the environment, such as birds and other animals, mountains and stars. They are also characterized by the traditional color combinations of red and black stripes and with the use of beads. Most Kalinga weaving designs and patterns remain unchanged through generations, weavers are taking care not to make any alterations since each color and detail have its specific meaning.
Weaves
Ka-in
Ka-in is a dress for women across the Cordillera region and sometimes complemented with a jacket. It is particularly in bright color and often dominated by bands of fiery red. This garment is characterized by horizontal stripes bordered by decorated panels along the joins and edges.
The golden triangle shaped pattern has a linear translation and a horizontal reflection symmetry. The symmetry group of this design is m1.
Another design element that has a frieze pattern is the red diamond like shape with a black outline pattern. This pattern also has a linear translation but has both horizontal and vertical reflection symmetry, which is why this pattern belongs to the mm symmetry group.
Be-e
Be-e is the common costumes for male Kalingas. It is a long-woven material about 10 to 15 inches wide and 3 to 5 feet long. It is used to cover the man’s private parts. This garment is firmly secured at the waist to prevent the clothing from falling off. It is usually associated with a head gear adorned with feathers, and some arm bands.
The diamond cross-like shaped pattern is an example of a wallpaper pattern. This pattern has both vertical and horizontal reflection symmetry with a rhombus shaped outline of the lattice unit. Because of these properties, this design belongs to the cmm symmetry group.
Another example of a wallpaper pattern is the diamond shaped outline pattern. This pattern also has both vertical and horizontal reflection symmetry, with its only difference is that it has an equal dimension. Because of this difference, this pattern belongs to the p4m symmetry group.
References
Tuguic, L.A. (2016). MATHEMATICS OF FOLK ART: THE GEOMETRIC MOTIFS IN THE EMBROIDERIES OF IKALINGA. International Journal of Advanced Research in Management and Social Sciences, 5(6), 816-829. https://garph.co.uk/IJARMSS/June2016/54.pdf
Images are from:
Comments