Name of cloth /Local name: Saputangan Tapestry Weave

Brief story: It is different from any other Yakan weaving. Traditionally it has an off-white background
usually with square patterns which are “stood up on end” as rhombus. The patterns are of great variety and
so cannot be pre-programmed as for the other types of weaving. For this reason, and because it is about one
meter wide, it is very difficult to weave. Only a few people know how to do it. The cloth is worn around the
waist by Yakan women when they dress in the old traditional costume. Often women also wear it as a
headdress. Brides and grooms have several draped over them as part of the wedding outfit.
Geometric Concept: A Yakan Saputangan shows a center square, 4 squares at the corners with identical
motifs and strip patterns at the sides. Every finite symmetrical pattern at the center and corner squares adopts
the inherent symmetries of a square: 90o, 1800, 270o rotations about the center of the design, reflections
with axes passing through this center. The symmetry group is D4. The strip patterns have vertical and
horizontal reflections as well as 180o rotations about the points of intersection of the reflection axes. The
symmetry group is mm.
References:
Yakan - seputangan. (n.d.). Retrieved November 6, 2022, from
https://sil-philippines-languages.org/online/yka/dict/lexicon/lx04369.html
Saputanggan. (2015, June 28). Mathematics in Indigenous Philippine Artwork.
https://mathinphilippineart.wordpress.com/patterns-by-region-2/muslim-mindanao/yakan-2/saputanggan/
Name of cloth /Local name: Itneg/Mangyan Cloth
Maker/Origin (People & Location): Tinguian/Itneg/Mangyan Tribe - AbraProvince/Oriental Mindoro
Brief story: The Tinguian are a Philippine tribe in the mountain province of Abra in northwestern Luzon.
Their settlement has extended as far as Ilocos Sur. They are distinct from the Igorot tribe, who are their
neighbors, although intermarriage between the two groups has become common. The Itneg are classified as
a “pagan” tribe because they were not Christianized by the Spaniards unlike the Ilocano people nearby.
Geometric Concept: The geometric patterns of the Mangyan tribe called minatahan, or the eyes of an ikad
(caterpillar), said to protect the wearer from harmful spirits. Symmetries: Horizontal reflection with axis
passing through the center. Vertical reflection with axis also passing through the center. 180°rotational
symmetry about the center. The frieze patterns adorning the sides of the blanket have symmetry group mm.
There is a horizontal reflection and vertical reflections with axes spaced half the translation length.
References:
Tinguian or Itneg of Abra Province. (2022, September 7). TAGALOG LANG.
https://tagaloglang.com/tinguian-itneg-tribe-abra-province/
Dinapat. (2015, July 8). Mathematics in Indigenous Philippine Artwork.
https://mathinphilippineart.wordpress.com/patterns-by-region-2/patterns-by-region/tingguians/dinapat/
Name of cloth /Local name: Pa-ikid Bontoc Weave
Maker/Origin (People & Location): Bontoc - Mountain Province
Brief story: The Bontoc textile revolves around the idea of centeredness, which symbolizes permanence,
order, and balance, key factors in the life of the Bontoc people. Weavers demonstrate this idea through the
direction of their weave, from the edge to the middle, to the symmetry of the cloth construction and the
repeated warp-striped design.
Geometric Concept: A frieze has symmetries that include reflections with vertical axes that pass through
the center of each tiktiko motif and the center of each matmata; and a reflection with horizontal axis also
passing through the same centers. There are also rotations with centers located at points of intersection of the
reflection axes. The symmetry group of the frieze pattern is mm.
References:
Uwes Pinakawha. (2015, July 7). Mathematics in Indigenous Philippine Artwork.
https://mathinphilippineart.wordpress.com/patterns-by-region-2/patterns-by-region/bontoc/uwes/
Name of cloth /Local name: Ikat pattern - Dagmay
Maker/Origin (People & Location): Mandaya Tribe - Mindanao
Brief story: Dagmay is a handwoven textile made from abaca. The abaca is the extracted fiber from banana
leaves. Dagmay involves a mud-dyeing technique wherein practitioners submerge their tannin-dyed yarns
into iron-rich mud for several days. First, they pound the bark of a tree and boil it with the abaca yarn. They
then add the mud with a bluish color and let the yarn boil until their desired tone is achieved. With the
intricate patterns and details of the dagmay, traditional Mandaya clothes have been known to among the
most beautiful in the Philippine archipelago. The motifs of traditional Mandaya design include curvilinear,
diamond, cross, trellis, and crocodile patterns.
Geometric Concept: One of their most popular textiles is called dagmay, a handwoven cloth designed with
patterns of man and crocodile, for which the Mandaya weavers are known for. Geometric and curvilinear
forms in yellow, blue, and white yarns, as well as hooks, crosses, and diamond shapes, are favorite
embellishments in the Mandaya’s woven fabrics.
References:
Malabonga, R. L. (n.d.). The Dreaming Culture of the Mandaya – ICHCAP. Retrieved November 6, 2022,
from https://www.unesco-ichcap.org/the-dreaming-culture-of-the-mandaya/
Attention Required! | Cloudflare. (2017, June 27).
https://cnnphilippines.com/life/culture/2017/06/27/mindanao-weaves.html4.