Decorative comb

Group: Kalagan
Local name: suwat

Full view

Detail: comb made of wood, decorated with beads, pieces of mirror and horse hair

Kalagan women in traditional dress (Mount Tandawanan)

Kalagan woman wearing the decorative comb
(Mount Tandawanan)
Photographs: copyright F. de Jager

Description

The hand carved comb is made of wood. Glass beads and pieces of mirror are fixed in patterns onto the comb using a sticky, rubbery substance (sicoco) from a tree. 18 bead strings of varying length hang down from the comb. On top is a tail of horse hair, also pasted on the comb with sicoco.

Dimensions:
Total length: appr. 55 cm., tail: appr. 16 cm., strings varying in length from 14 to 34 cm.; comb: width; 11,5 cm., height (highest): 4,7 cm.

Remarks

Ethnic group: Kalagan, and other neighbouring tribes
(See also: Decorative comb, Bagobo)

Location: SE Mindanao