Tangkil / Abkil (Mt. Province) (b)

An example of tangkil/abkil with wooden figurine

A closer look at the wooden human figurine with braided hair

A detailed shot of the basket work used to attach the human figurine to the boar’s tusk armband

A back shot of the tangkil showing the figurine’s back and the basket work that holds the boar’s tusks together

A close-up shot showing the marks and discoloration of the boar’s tusks

LOCAL NAME:

Tangkil / Abkil (Mt. Province) (b)

ENGLISH NAME:

Boar’s tusk armband

DESCRIPTION:

An armband, the tangkil, comprises two pairs of boar's tusks meticulously connected to form a circular band. This accessory features an anthropomorphic figure, strengthened with rattan strips, with a distinctive touch of a braided human hair attached to the figure's head.

COMMONLY USED BY/IN:

Bontoc, Mountain Province

MATERIAL COMPOSITION:

Boar’s tusks, Human hair, Rattan, Wood

ITEM CONSTRUCTION:

DIMENSIONS:

Armband Diameter: 12 cm

Anthropomorphic figure Height: 12 cm

Hair
Length: 28.5 cm

ACQUISITION YEAR:

2021

DISPLAY STATUS:

BURC

RESEARCH DATA:

Known as tangkil, abkil, or tangka, this armband is a customary adornment worn by Bontoc men. The tangkil is expertly crafted, incorporating wickerwork-woven rattan and adorned with four boar's tusks, symbolizing prestige and courage among the affluent and brave men in the community. According to Maramba (1998), it is believed that wearing the tangkil imparts the wearer with the enduring qualities, ferocity, speed, and strength reminiscent of a wild boar.

REFERENCES:

Maramba, R. (1998). Form and Splendor: Personal Adornment of Northern Luzon Ethnic Group. Manila: Bookmark, Inc.

Mittersakschmoller, R. (2009). Alexander Schadenberg: Photographing cultures on Luzon. In B.Bohle, U. Brandl-Straka, S. Kuhnt- Saptodewo, & O. Moiseanu (Eds.), Museum of Ethnology Vienna: The Philippines: Early collections (pp. 17-88). Museum fur Volkerkunde.

Tangkil / Abkil (Mt. Province) (b)

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