Calabash Helmet (Tabungaw)

Philippines

Mid-20th century

Calabash gourd, cotton, beads

Fashioned out of a gourd native to the Philippines, the Tabungaw is well suited to a climate with extremes of monsoon and droughts, shielding the wearer from the rain and strong sun. Lightweight and durable, gourd hats are common throughout the Philippines—but especially in Ilocano, a northern province—where the gourds are hollowed out, dried, and then transformed into hats.