Description:

Philippines, possibly Bontoc region, ca. 1900. The armband, known as a tangkil, is made from two boars' tusks woven together with rattan; the carved wooden human figure perched atop the tangkil is beside a tassel of human hair. Tangkils are known from the mountainous northern regions of Luzon, the largest island of the Philippines, and especially from the Bontoc region. They were worn for ceremonies and ritual dances relating to headhunting. According to Roberto Maramba in his seminal work, Form and Splendor: Personal Adornment of Northern Luzon Ethnic Groups (1998), the use of boars' tusks was to give the wearer sympathetic magic: the strength, speed, endurance, and ferocity of the wild boar. A complete headhunter's ceremonial outfit included a pair of tangkil, one for each arm, a crocodile teeth or boar's tusk necklace, strings of agate beads, feathered plumes or fresh wild flowers in the hair, and heavily tattooed skin. Outfitted thusly, the wearer embodied the mythical half man, half beast who would take an enemy head. Size: the tangkil is 4"H; the boars' tusks form a circle 5-1/2" in diameter; entire object is 8" in length at its longest point. Provenance: Ex-Historia Antiques, Santa Monica, CA. All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. #109587

  • Condition: The tangkil is almost pristine, with only some cracking and a single small (< 1") chip from the tusks. The wooden figure is intact and its features are clear; all of the hair is present and well preserved.

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September 24, 2015 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $25,000