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Pawisak (a)

LOCAL NAME:

Pawisak (a)

ENGLISH NAME:

Shell earrings

DESCRIPTION:

Pawisak (Kalinga) Painga/buraway (Ga’dang). A set of ear ornaments composed of two butterfly-shaped mother-of-pearl shells adorned with small red and yellow beads.

COMMONLY USED BY/IN:

Kalinga, Ga’dang, Mountain Province

MATERIAL COMPOSITION:

Mother-of-pearl shell, Beads

ITEM CONSTRUCTION:

Ornament making, Carving

DIMENSIONS:

Identical pair of pawisak
Loop of beads placed around the ear Length:
9 cm Shell

Length: 2.6 cm
Width: 7 cm

ACQUISITION YEAR:

2021

DISPLAY STATUS:

BURC

RESEARCH DATA:

Referred to as pawisak or bawisak among the Kalinga people and painga by the Ga’dang people, these earrings are a traditional accessory worn by Kalinga women. The Ga’dang community employs them not only as ear ornaments for women but also as embellishments for men's basket hats. According to Maramba (1998), donning a pawisak is a distinctive feature of Kalinga women.

REFERENCES:

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

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