48 THE MANOBOS OF MINDANAO— GARVAN tMEMO [vo* A xxnt 



THE WOMAN'S DRESS 



THE JACKET 



The great distinguishing mark of a woman's dress is the difference in color between the body 

 of the upper garment, which is almost invariably red, and the sleeves, which must always be of a 

 different color. Should the body be made of black cloth, then the sleeves are always of red. And 

 if the sleeves are of black, blue, or white, then the body must be of red. 



Another differentiating feature of the woman's jacket is that the cuffs, if they may be so 

 called, are generally of the color of the body of the garment, and that the pieces often inserted 

 between the main parts of the body and extending vertically down the sides from the armpits 

 are of the same color, and, if possible, of the same material as the upper parts of the sleeves. 

 These two points, together with the more extensive and elaborate embroidery, serve to distin- 

 guish the woman's upper garment from the man's. 



In the regions which I visited the styles of jackets may be reduced to two, the more elaborate 

 types of which are as follows: 



The upper Agusan style. — On the upper Agusan, on the Ihawan (excepting on its western 

 tributaries), and on the Bahaian, the woman's jacket partakes of the style and characteristics of 

 that of the Mandaya. In shape it is not different from that of the man, but is more close-fitting, 

 especially the sleeves, which may be compared to a long cylinder. Lines of cotton yarn in alter- 

 nating colors cover and adorn the seams and the oval-shaped opening for the neck, but are not 

 found on the bottom of the jacket. Embroidery of skillful and intricate design, in bands about 

 5 or 6 centimeters wide, adorns the garment on the back from shoulder to shoulder and around 

 the seam at which the sleeves are joined to the body of the jacket. 



This garment is made out of either gauzelike dbdkd cloth of native weaving, dyed either red 

 or black, or it is of imported European cloth obtained by barter. Sometimes it is a combination 

 of the two, when enough imported cloth has not been obtained. 



The style oj the central group. — The main differences between this style and that just described 

 are that the latter is more loosely cut in the body and sleeves, is more profusely embroidered, 

 and has a longitudinal cut in the cuffs for the admission of the hands. One finds, too, but only 

 very occasionally, a type of jacket in which the sleeves are white and the body black. 



The embroidery may be so profuse that it covers not only the lower halves of the sleeves 

 and the back of the neck, but the whole front of the garment. 



THE GIRDLE AND ITS PENDANTS 



The girdle may be a mere braided cord of abated fiber often mixed with strands of cotton 

 yarn, but more commonly it is a series of braided cords of nito, H or of human hair. The girdle 

 is made by braiding the nito or the hair into circular cords, each about 45 centimeters in length 

 and about 2 millimeters in width. Anywhere from 10 to 20 of these braids are fastened together 

 by involving the ends in small pieces of cloth wrapped with cotton yarn of the preferential colors. 



To one end of this girdle is attached a numerous array of beads, shells, and charms. To the 

 other is attached a braided abakd cord, also variegated with the proper colors, which enables the 

 wearer to fasten and tighten the girdle. One frequently sees white seed beads in greater or less 

 quantity strung on each cord of this form of belt. 



The pendants are a very noticeable feature of the girdle. Hung from the right side they 

 present to the eye anything but a pleasing effect. Bundles of white scented grass, about 5 centi- 

 meters long by 1 centimeter in diameter, that have dried to a semblance of hay, detract most 

 from the appearance of the wearer. The whole mass of pendants is a tangle of divers objects, 

 the quantity of which depends upon the good fortune of the wearer. The following are the objects 

 that may be found among these pendants: Large hawk bells, seldom exceeding six in number 

 and ordinarily not more than three; bunches of odorous grass, amounting sometimes to as much 

 as eight in number; the red seed of the ma-gu-bal tree; small shells, especially cowry shells, picked 



u Lygodium circinnatum sp. 



