THE PANOLONG: ART CRITIQUE

The Panolong is a house ornament fashioned by the Maranao people. Panolong is a part of the
beam in the Maranao house. The shape of the Panolong is an architectural translation of a
prow, meaning the potruding part in the front of a ship. Panolongs were designed to make the
house appear as a floating boat in the eyes of the viewer.

The Cultural Center of the Philippines Museo ng Kalinangang Pilipino showcased Panolong in
its museum. Panolongs follows two design concepts in its design, a floral like/ vine like design
and a design which resembles the image of the naga also known as the serpent. Unfortunately
the museum holds no naga based conceptualization of the Panolong as of the moment. As I
looked on the three Panolongs displayed I picked the one in the middle, it is a vine like design of
Panolong. The sculpted piece was a medium sized decoration. The wooden carving is almost
a meter in width and about quarter of a meter in height, a wooden carving from polychormed
wood. Chisel was the tool used to achieve the roughly finished art. The texture of the Panolong
is simply wooden texture since it was basically carved out from wood. The impression of
Panolong in my eyes is a plain right triangle, geometric in shape and projects a neat but not an
edgy perimeter. Panolongs basically comes in the color of the wood , which is brown but
according to the museum guide during the vernacular times it was painted with bright colors,
green, red or yellow. Looking at the aesthetic quality of Panolong your eyes will really be pulled
by the movement of the vine patterns the lucid lines, the expression of Maranaos cultural
prosperity at that time, the early times. One of the most distinct qualities of the Panolong is the
blend of straight and curved carvings. The vines which appear to be sprawling along with the
triangular boundary it is in. I think the idea behind this wooden carving is the love of Filipinos for
nature and environment. The imitation of our built surroundings, it was once said that;
Architecture is nothing but an imitation of nature. Through this idea it is amazing to recognize
that in the past our ancestors have already thought of it.

Consequently I think the purpose of Panolong as a whole is to show how great the Maranaos as
sea mans, the group of the created the Panolongs to display a floating boat parody in their
settlements. According to Architect Leandro Locsin the Maranao house seems to float because
of its boat influenced design of protruding beams. The anthropologist Jesus Peralta says, that
since Lanao is frequently visited by earthquakes, Maranao houses rest on floating supports
through large boulders beneath their houses. With all this being said I think this artwork is
successful in its exhibition in the minds of the viewers as most people, me in particular share
this conviction within. I can say that Panolongs made an important contribution to art history. Let
us remember through the lines above it promotes culture. Of all the ethnicity of the vernacular
houses of the Philippines the Maranao Panolong stands out. This craftsmanship is unique and
has no existing imitation. It has been said that a country without a culture is a country without a
future. A good starting point for development is to evaluate our own culture. Architects must
never be oblivious of culture because being mindful of the culture is needed to produce a
sensuous, intellectual and functional unit of order.

THE AKUSAN; The Amulet: ART CRITIQUE

The Akusan from Bontoc, Mountain Province, worn by women to serve as amulets. An amulet
can be any object but its most important characteristic is its alleged power to protect its owner
from danger or harm. Amulets are different from talismans as a talisman is believed to bring luck
or some other benefit, though it can offer protection as well. Amulets are often confused with
pendants charms that hang from necklaces any given pendant may indeed be an amulet, but so
may any other charm which purports to protect its owner from danger.

This artwork symbolizes adorn for the women of Ifugao living in Bontoc, Mountain province. The
Akusan is like a tower of beads at first glance. This amulet from the vernacular times is as long
as the mid-section of the average human body. The Cultural Center of the Philippines Museo ng
Kalinangang Pilipino exhibits one in a glass frame along with some Ifugao sculptures. Also dont
be mistaken that at first glance you only consider beads as the entire make-up of the artwork.
Akusan is a mix- up of ivory, rattan, shell, cloth, stone and beads. Truly indigenous in nature,
but it is an elegant fashion and could still fit in up today. Just like Panolong the one discussed
earlier, Akusan is contingent to its materials. The color, texture, and shape will all be dictated by
the material. This piece of artistry is mostly dominated by color beige. Akusan has somewhat
symmetry, for me it has balance especially when you focus on the arrangement of beads and
stones, etc. The harmony of objects used brought out the unity it possesses. The first thing that
caught my attention was the bulk at the very bottom of the amulet. I am very considerable
especially with small details that can mean a lot in the entire artwork. Akusan poses not much
movement as it is just plain beads arranged artistically, but I think the idea and mood expressed
this time is the early Filipinos beliefs. The Philippines is one of the countries in the whole world
that flourished in the field of religion and spiritual beliefs. The purpose of amulets varies
considerably according to their time and place of origin. In many societies, religious objects
serve as amulets. According to folklore, the most powerful anting-anting is the hiyas ng saging
The hiyas must come from a mature banana and only comes out during midnight. Before the
person can fully possess this agimat, he must fight a supernatural creature called kapre. Only
then will he be its true owner. During holy week, devotees travel to Mount Banahaw to recharge
their amulets.

In general I think Akusan didnt make much of a contribution in the Philippine art history, but I
think it is successful with its purpose. The Akusan wont be in the museum if it is not entirely
important. It still contributes in our history , it shows that just like Greece and Rome during the
past we are already civilized before the coming of the colonizers that branded us, as indios or
already incapable of civilization. Just like them we believe that there are supernatural beings out
there and a supremacy of all creation.

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ARTIST BIOGRAPHY:

PANOLONG: MARANAO People: Maranao Artisans

The Maranao inhabit Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur in Mindanao. The name Maranao
translates to mean People of the Lake, after their traditional territory in the area surrounding
Lake Lanao in the Bukidnon-Lanao Plateau.According to the early written genealogical
documents salsila, this term generally referred to the native people living around Lake Lanao.
The lake area is the home-range of the Maranao which is located in North Central Mindanao,
approximately 135 sq. miles in area and is situated 2,300 feet above sea level. They are one of
the largest Islamic groups in the Philippines, with the core areas being Marawi City, Lumba-a-
bayabao, and Bayang. The Maranao are a splinter group of the Maguindanao who took up
Islam; families tracing their religious origins to Sharif Kabunsuan, who introduced the religion to
the region. Communities are clustered around a mosque and a torogan, a royal house
belonging to the preeminent economic household in the area. Aside from exotic textiles,
metalwork, and woodcraft, the torogan structure is the most significant and spectacular example
of Filipino secular architecture. As a people, the Maranao are widely distributed and contribute
significantly to the market and trade industry. For instance, the awang (dugout boat) used
principally in Lake Lanao is both unique and extremely ornate. Textiles, on the other hand,
symbolize the socio-economic rank of the wearer through the intricacies of the design motifs
woven into the fabric, as well as, the richness of the colors used.

AKUSAN: Ifugao People: Ifugao artisans:

The Ifugao people were the tribes located in the Norhern part of the Philippines. The Mountain
Province.

Reference:

http://www.ethnicgroupsphilippines.com/people/ethnic-groups-in-the-philippines/maranao/
RESEARCH WORK:

PANOLONG:

The panolong flaring out from the beams is the most arresting feature of the torogan. Its okir carving
usually features the naga or serpent as well as floral and star-and-bud motifs. Panolong is a wing like
design of a vernacular house in maranao called torogan.

AKUSAN:

Philippines | Akusan (woman's belt) Bontoc. Conus shells,

coiled brass, woven cotton fabric, human bone.

Early 20th century.

REFERENCE:

http://digitaleducation.net:8080/CM/panolong

CCP Website