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Fine Arms, Armour, Ethnographic & Asian
Lot 309:
Philippines pair of male / female bulul Ifugao peoples of the Lagawe region dating from the 1st quarter of 20th century or earlier. Fine pair and remarkable representation of primitive canonical style from the Lagawe region of the Ifugao. They feature semi-heart-shaped faces with elements of indigenous art, and their cylindrical legs and interconnecting arms define sturdy, compact seated figures. A light encrustation of soot covers both figures, likely stemming from their aged time and use. This encrustation is the thickest at the top of both figures heads, forming a semi-inverted cone shape. Interestingly carved without genitalia it is reasonable to discern the male through the open space between the buttocks, where loincloth would have been worn. It is likely that this pair was once adorned with respective loincloths, the male with a miniature loincloth and the female with a wrap skirt. During rituals, particularly the rice harvest, stalks of rice heavy with grain would have been inserted into the pierced ears of these figure. However, these adornments have faded with time and use, leaving behind the simplicity and exquisite sophistication of the sculptures. Size of smaller 9 3/4" H x 6" L x 5 1/4" W (approx weight 6lbs), larger 23 1/2" H x 6 1/4" L x 4 1/2" W (approx weight 7lbs)
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