Ifugao Woodcarving

Some people are what we call crafts person while we call the others artists. I know this might sound a bit confusing but it's the truth. A good number of people are very crafty; they are able to make so many things. But not all of them have the artistic abilities to imagine what they want to create. Some may be able to create a craft out of a given model and they do it with really amazing efficiency, but may not be able to create something if asked to start from scratch. For people who love working on wood for example, they spend so much time perfecting their craft. Making small things at first, then moving on to a life size object.

I guess, the Ifugao people are the greatest woodcarvers. Ifugao is a province in the northern part of the Philippines. Several tribesmen are born carvers, I think. Or, can we say their carving skill is an instinct for them? Maybe that would be an exaggeration but imagine that they are doing their craft without any formal training. I am posting here some of their woodcarving and let me know if it did not amaze you. For me, I am never tired looking at their work - I go to a place in my city where their crafts are displayed every now and I'm as delighted as when the first time I saw the carvings.

I love woodcarvings as home decors. It can be a great interior accent or a piece of art to highlight your home garden.

The photo you see here is a life-size panther. It is almost 72 inches in length and 55 inches in height. Weight - almost 100 kilos!

Photos in this article are mine.

What attracted me the most are the eagle collections that come in different sizes and designs. You will find in store an eagle as small as six inches to one that is as big as fourteen feet. There are eagles with their wings widely spread like the one you can see in the photo, resting calmly on a chunk of wood. There are those with their claws that looks like the eagle is in the act of grabbing something with its powerful claws.

Just like any other woodcarving found in the Ifugao woodcarving stores, the eagles are carved on two kinds of wood - ebony and G-Melina. Pieces carved using mahogany are more expensive, almost two times the price of the same piece made of G-Melina.

I these pieces among my favorites. See that big dragon there? It was carved for the year 2000. Notice that the body of the dragon coils forming 2-0-0-0! It may not be totally visible because the smaller dragons obstructs the view.

These are elegant displays on a cabinet top, either in your home or in your office.

What's interesting about this item? If you observe the holder closely, you will not see a point where it was glued together.

Why? It was carved out from one log of wood. So, all those 4 pieces that you can see are actually part of a single piece of wood.

This mother and daughter abstract carving is a perfect gift for moms. It is a symbolic one. It comes in several sizes, from 6 inches to 24 inches or customized size. The one in the picture is made of ebony wood - that's not a wood paint or wood stain, it's the natural color of ebony.

You've seen the life-size pink panther at the beginning of this lens. Life size carvings available there are mostly lions, wolves, and humans. Most likely, you will see a life size hunter with his dog and a deer on his shoulders. That portrays the heritage of the carvers. Their ancestors were hunters.

We love dolphins; who says no? You'll find several options in store - from 4 inches single dolphin to 24 inches, single, double or trio. You can have your own be customized too.

I these pieces among my favorites. See that big dragon there? It was carved for the year 2000. Notice that the body of the dragon coils forming 2-0-0-0! It may not be totally visible because the smaller dragons obstructs the view.

These are elegant displays on a cabinet top, either in your home or in your office.

This is a 24 inches fruit bowl. It comes in pair. It's truly awesome putting these together in a long table. Some may comment that it's not a good item on the meal table because it portrays slavery but I do not see it that way. I see it as a reminder for me not to waste the fruits on it because these are the "fruits" of someone else's labor.