Luzon Island Bulul Rice Guardian Figures

A pair of Luzon Island 'Bulul' wooden rice guardian figures,…
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A pair of Luzon Island 'Bulul' wooden rice guardian figures, Ifugao people, Philippines, 19th/early 20th century, carved as seated male and female figures, on a integral waisted square section plinth, with fine old patina. The larger figure 43 cm high, 10.5 cm wide. The smaller figure 35 cm high, 9 cm wide. Provenance: Rudolf Kractochwill, Graz, Austria. Bonhams, 'Art of the south Seas', New York, 9/02/2014. Other Notes: Bulul, also known as bul-ul or tinagtaggu, are carved wooden figures used to guard rice crops by the Ifugao peoples (and their sub-tribe Kalanguya) of northern Luzon.

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  • Patination / Patina - In broad terms, patination refers to the exterior surface appearance of the timber, the effect of fading caused by exposure to sunlight and air over the course of a century or more, changing the piece to a soft, mellow colour.

    As patina is very difficult to replicate, it is one of the most important guides to determining the age of furniture.

    Patina is also the term applied to the bloom or film found on old bronzes due to oxidisation.

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