Standing Bululs from Ifugao, Philippines (1900)

A Pair of Standing Bululs, Kababuyan Village, Ifugao, Philippines, (circa 1900), carved hardwood, 42 cm; 38.7 cm high (2). Provenance: William Beyer, Manila. Acquired from above by Dr Peter Elliott in the late 1960s. These highly stylized figures are the work of master carver Tagiling of Kababuyan. Tagiling was an accomplished carver whose work can be fairly easily identified due to his adherence to realism and anatomical detail. This is especially apparent in his realistic rendering of facial features. As seen here, the ears flaring out from the head receive special attention and each detail of their configuration is carefully considered; all characteristic of his corpus. Tagiling's work is seen by many as a break with the traditional convention of the Bulul, where anatomical details is far less important and is largely subservient to the total sculptural conception. Still the work of Tagiling is some of the most iconic expressions of Igfugo art, and are revered as universal masterpieces of this genre.