Academy or Scences] THE MANOBO HOME 41 



Pictures and like ornaments are unknown, but in lieu of them may be seen trophies of the 

 chase, such as wild-boar jawbones, deer antlers, and hornbill skulls and beaks. It is not infre- 

 quent to see the tail of some large fish fastened to one of the larger beams, under the roof. There 

 is a special significance in the preservation of this trophy. 



There is one article, however, which the Manobo prizes as a mark of wealth and as a vener- 

 able relic. It is the sacred jar. 8 I have been unable to obtain any information as to the origin 

 of these jars except that they were usually obtained as marriage fees and that they were bought 

 from the Banuaons. Be that as it may, they are a matter of pride in Manoboland, and on every 

 occasion, festive and religious, they are set out, brimful of brew. Not every Manobo is the proud 

 possessor of one of these, but he who has one is loath to part with it. A glance at Plate 14 k, I, 

 will give an idea of what these jars look like. They are decorated, as a rule, in alto relievo with 

 figures of birds, snakes, etc., and to judge from their appearance are of Chinese workmanship. 

 When given as marriage payments or for other purposes they are valued at about 4 pesos if they 

 have no ears, but when they have ears they are worth as many pesos minus 1 as they have ears. 



Next to jars the Manobo values plates and bowls, even those of the cheapest kind, and it 

 is with a gleam of satisfaction on his face that the host sets out an array of old-fashioned plates 

 for his guests. The Manobo of the middle Agusan, unlike his Mandaya neighbor, is particularly 

 poor in plateware. I found houses that could not boast of a single plate, but as a rule each 

 house has about four plates, a bowl, and a glass. 



Depending from the roof are to be seen baskets of various shapes intended for a variety of 

 uses, fish baskets, rice baskets of several lands, storage baskets, betel-nut baskets, pack baskets, 

 some of wickerwork and some of plaited rattan. Also, hanging from the rafters are to be seen 

 fish traps, wild chicken traps, religious objects such as oblation trays, a guitar, or a bamboo harp, 

 and if it is a priest's house, a drum and gong. 



One sees almost invariably a nest or two up in a corner under the roof. They are for the 

 domestic hens and are ungainly things, made ordinarily out of a piece of old matting. In these 

 the hens lay their eggs, after meandering around the rafters and disturbing the inmates of the 

 house with their cackling. After the eggs are laid, it is frequently necessary to drive the hens 

 from the house. 



The fireplace is another very important item in the house. It is usually located on the side 

 of the house away from the door and near the wall. It consists of four roughhewn pieces of wood 

 approximately 1 meter long and about 10 centimeters high, set together on the floor and lashed 

 in the form of a rectangle. A piece of bark is placed on the floor within this rectangle, and the 

 inclosed space is filled with earth. A half dozen stones form supports for tho earthen jars. 

 Above the fireplace is a rough frame for firewood, of which there is usually a plentiful supply. 

 Here the wood is dried thoroughly before it is used. 



In close proximity to the hearth and scattered around without any regard for tidiness may 

 be seen the rice winnow, the bamboo water tube, the coconut-shell watercup, the rice paddles and 

 ladles, leaves of banana and other plants, and the whetstone, while on the fireplace are seen a 

 variety of earthen pots with their covers, and frequently an imported iron pan for cooking. 



Tied up under the roof, but within reach, may be seen bows and arrows, probably a fish spear, 

 or it may be, a fish rod. Spears and other weapons of defense which, when not in use, are un- 

 sheathed and put into a rude wooden rack made for the purpose, while the sheaths are hung up 

 close by. 



It is not exceptional to find a cage with a turtledove 9 or a variety of parrakeet 10 in it. The 

 cage is usually hung from the roof under the eaves outside the wall. The turtledove is kept for 

 religious purposes, whereas the parrakeet is kept as other people keep a pet bird, though it is 

 occasionally employed by the young folks as a lure to attract its wild fellows to the bird line. 



8 Bd-hdn-di. 



9 Li-md-kon. (Ptiabilrervn breviroatris Tweedale). Generally called fruit dove. 

 '» Ku-li-li-si. 



