ABOUT THE WORK

During the Spanish Colonial Period, a newly-elected Cabeza de Barangay or a Gobernadorcillo was always given a silver-headed cane by the Governor-General as a Mark of Office. This cane was always referred to as a baston de mando. Some wealthy officials, however, were not content with just an ordinary wooden cane of narra and replaced them with more expensive materials like kamagong or ebony. Occasionally, but very rarely, was tortoiseshell used for the cane. Since this was a very rare material, it was used only by very rich individuals, usually a Gobernadorcillo. This particular piece is made up of pieces of tortoiseshell or carey wrapped around a wooden inner core. The tortoiseshell has a foil backing to reflect the light and to show the pattern of the shell. The tapering cane top and ferule are of silver, the former being octagonal in shape with a ring at the bottom and a beaded ring just above it. The latter embellishment is always referred to in contemporary inventories as a rosario de perlas. The salakót is a traditional wide-brimmed Philippine hat often made of either rattan or Phragmites and is a Filipino traditional headdress similar to the iconic conical hat found in neighboring Southeast and East Asian countries. Though normally worn by farmers, wealthy and landed Christian Filipinos and mestizos, especially the members of the ruling class called the Principalía, began embellishing their hats. Some made their salakót of more prized materials like cow horn or tortoise shell and adorned it with an ornate capping spike crafted in silver or even gold. Scattered over the surface of the headgear were embossed and chased silver plaques of varying sizes, while around the rim were hung pendants consisting of silver coins or beads. Many depictions of town mayors aka gobernadorcillos and cabezas de barangay or village headmen would portray these colonial public functionaries as wearing ornate salakots. This particular salakot is made of very finely woven rattan topped by a silver cap with a base embossed and finely chased with a design of a leafy scroll alternating with a stylized flower. The cap’s outer edge is outlined by a molding and a multi-lobed leaf pattern, while the inner side is decorated with a border composed of a series of embossed and chased flower buds. A ball finial decorated with a ring of beads around the middle and a small bead surmounting it tops the cap. Scattered around the surface of the salakot are tiny silver stylized S-scrolls embossed and chased with a flower and leaves as well as flower buds. The four large symmetrical leafy scrolls with a flower decorating four sides of the lower part of the salakot are not original to the piece and are crudely executed. The bottom of the salakot is decorated with a series of silver bosses. -Martin I. Tinio, Jr