Calabash Helmet (Kattokong Nga Tabungaw)

Philippines 

2018

Upo calabash, rattan, bamboo

A hollowed-out gourd that has been varnished to improve its weather resistance makes a lightweight but sturdy hat, suitable for shielding one’s face from the sun or to keep off the rain. Functional yet elegant, it is lined inside with woven rattan to help secure it to the head, and is decorated with a strip of bamboo weave.  

The maker of this hat, Teofilo Garcia, a farmer and master craftsman from Ilocano, was recognized as a National Living Treasure in 2012 by the Philippines National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Having learned the skills under his grandfather, he has spent many years perfecting them, and—with the advent of inexpensive, mass-produced hats—may be one of the few people keeping this traditional craft alive.