Woodcraft

The archaeological discovery of stone adzes, burins, and similar tools indicates that the Filipino woodworking tradition extends back at least as far as Neolithic times. The oldest known items are boat-shaped coffins from Palawan, which feature carved snake and crocodile heads on their covers. While today there is little carving done in most areas, the facts that the Spaniards were "forced" to burn thousands of wooden idols virtually everywhere they went, and that most local languages and mythologies are replete with woodworking terms and references, tell us that the practice was once much more widespread.

Today, the best known carvers in the islands are the Ifugao; noted also are the Palawan, who carve interesting likenesses of animal spirits; unfortunately, of these latter we do not yet have any samples. Click the image at left for the Ifugao Bulols page, or select one of the items below.