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Okir or okil is the term for rectilinear and curvilinear plant-based designs and folk motifs that can be usually found among the Moro and
Lumad The Lumad are a group of Austronesian indigenous people in the southern Philippines. It is a Cebuano term meaning "native" or "indigenous". The term is short for Katawhang Lumad (Literally: "indigenous people"), the autonym officially adopte ...
people of the
Southern Philippines Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of t ...
, as well as parts of
Sabah Sabah () is a state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah borders the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and the North Kalimantan province of Indonesia to the south. The Federal Territory of ...
. It is particularly associated with the artwork of the
Maranao The Maranao people (Maranao: mәranaw Filipino: ''Maranaw''), also spelled Meranao, Maranaw, and Mëranaw, is the term used by the Philippine government to refer to the southern indigenous people who are the "people of the lake", a predomi ...
and
Sama Sama or SAMA may refer to: Places * Sama, Burkina Faso, a town in the Kouka Department, Banwa Province, Burkina Faso * Sama, China (Sanya), a city in Hainan, China * Sama, Chalus, a village in Mazandaran Province, Iran * Sama, Nowshahr, a vi ...
(Badjao) tribes, although it can also be found to a lesser extent among the
Maguindanao Maguindanao (, Maguindanaon: ''Prubinsya nu Magindanaw''; Iranun'': Perobinsia a Magindanao''; tl, Lalawigan ng Maguindanao) was a province of the Philippines located in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). From 2014 t ...
,
Iranun The Iranun are a Moro ethnic group native to Mindanao, Philippines (in Maguindanao del Norte: Barira, Buldon, Parang, Matanog, Sultan Mastura, and Sultan Kudarat; North Cotabato: Alamada, Banisilan, Carmen, Libungan, and Pigcawayan; ...
, Tausug,
Yakan Yakan may refer to: * Yakan people, a community of the Philippines * Yakan language, a language of the Philippines * Cape Yakan, in Russia People with the name * Adly Yakan Pasha (1864–1933), Egyptian politician * Fathi Yakan (1933–2009) ...
, and Lumad groups. The design elements vary among these ethnic groups, with the greatest refinement being found among the Maranao.


History

The origins of ''okir'' are pre-Islamic. They are believed to have originated from the much earlier ''okil'' or ''okil-okil'' decorative carving traditions of the
Sama Sama or SAMA may refer to: Places * Sama, Burkina Faso, a town in the Kouka Department, Banwa Province, Burkina Faso * Sama, China (Sanya), a city in Hainan, China * Sama, Chalus, a village in Mazandaran Province, Iran * Sama, Nowshahr, a vi ...
(Badjao) people, which are often highly individualistic and rectilinear. The Sama are master carvers, and they made lavish decorations on ritual
animistic Animism (from Latin: ' meaning 'breath, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence. Potentially, animism perceives all things—animals, plants, rocks, rivers, weather systems, hum ...
objects, grave markers (both in wood and stone), and their houseboats. These precursor forms of the ''okir'' designs can still be found in the art traditions of the Maranao in the ''basak'' (lowland) regions of Lake Lanao, and they contrast markedly from the later flowing ''okir'' designs. The rectilinear designs of the Sama were adopted and refined by the Maranao to decorate the ''
torogan A torogan () is a traditional ancestral house built by the Maranao people of Lanao, Mindanao, Philippines for the nobility. A torogan was a symbol of high social status. Such a residence was once a home to a sultan or ''datu'' in the Maranao com ...
'' houses of the ruling '' dato'' class. The most prominent parts of the ''torogan'' are the ''panolong'', the carved floor beams modeled after '' awang'' boat prows. These protrude in the front of the house and styled with elaborate ''okir'' designs, usually that of a '' naga'' (a sea serpent or dragon). These were meant to drive away evil spirits. ''Okir'' were also featured in the central housebeam, the ''tinai a walai'' ("intestine of the house"), which had ritual significance. Unlike the decorative carving traditions of the Sama, the ''panolong'' of the ''torogan'' became a symbol of power and status. As such, they increasingly became more and more elaborate, developing the flowing characteristics that it possesses today. It influenced other Maranao artforms greatly due to its association with rank and prestige, becoming used in textiles, musical instruments, betel quid containers, sculptures, weaponry, silver inlays, and so on. These designs became the standard for what came to be known as ''okir''. From the Maranao, this spread to nearby regions through the migrations of the
Iranun people The Iranun are a Moro ethnic group native to Mindanao, Philippines (in Maguindanao del Norte: Barira, Buldon, Parang, Matanog, Sultan Mastura, and Sultan Kudarat; North Cotabato: Alamada, Banisilan, Carmen, Libungan, and Pigcawayan; Lanao d ...
(the descendants of the merchant and outcast clans of Maranao). Elements of ''okir'' have been adopted by the neighboring
Maguindanao Maguindanao (, Maguindanaon: ''Prubinsya nu Magindanaw''; Iranun'': Perobinsia a Magindanao''; tl, Lalawigan ng Maguindanao) was a province of the Philippines located in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). From 2014 t ...
,
Lumad The Lumad are a group of Austronesian indigenous people in the southern Philippines. It is a Cebuano term meaning "native" or "indigenous". The term is short for Katawhang Lumad (Literally: "indigenous people"), the autonym officially adopte ...
,
Yakan Yakan may refer to: * Yakan people, a community of the Philippines * Yakan language, a language of the Philippines * Cape Yakan, in Russia People with the name * Adly Yakan Pasha (1864–1933), Egyptian politician * Fathi Yakan (1933–2009) ...
, and
Tausug people Tausug or Tausūg may refer to: * Tausūg people * Tausug language Tausug (; Jawi: ; ms, Bahasa Suluk) is an Austronesian language spoken in the province of Sulu in the Philippines and in the eastern area of the state of Sabah, Malaysia, by ...
s of the
Mindanao Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
and the Sulu Archipelago; even influencing the carving traditions of the Sama later on. However, it had limited penetration among the
Visayan Visayans ( Visayan: ''mga Bisaya''; ) or Visayan people are a Philippine ethnolinguistic group or metaethnicity native to the Visayas, the southernmost islands of Luzon and a significant portion of Mindanao. When taken as a single ethnic group, ...
-descended heavily-
Islamized Islamization, Islamicization, or Islamification ( ar, أسلمة, translit=aslamāh), refers to the process through which a society shifts towards the religion of Islam and becomes largely Muslim. Societal Islamization has historically occurre ...
Tausug, the dominant ethnic group of Sulu. They viewed such carvings as "pagan". ''Okir'' among the Tausug is usually limited to the hilts and
scabbard A scabbard is a sheath for holding a sword, knife, or other large blade. As well, rifles may be stored in a scabbard by horse riders. Military cavalry and cowboys had scabbards for their saddle ring carbine rifles and lever-action rifles on t ...
s of weapons.


Elements and motifs


Sama

The older Sama carving traditions (''okil'' or ''okil-okil'', sometimes spelled ''ukkil'' among
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Malays ...
n Sama) differ markedly from the ''okir'' of the Maranao, although elements of the ''okir'' were incorporated into later Sama carvings. Sama ''okil'' aren't bound to rules like the ''okir'', and thus tend to be highly variable. Each artist carves according to his own tastes. Despite this, there are still shared motifs that bind them all together as Sama. Sama ''okil'' can be divided into two types. The most ancient ''okil'' which still survive among the
animist Animism (from Latin: ' meaning 'breath, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence. Potentially, animism perceives all things— animals, plants, rocks, rivers, weather systems, hum ...
Sama, usually the sea-going Sama Dilaut branches, feature representational artforms like human figures. These are absent in the ''okil'' versions of the Sama that converted to
Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...
. Sama ''okil'' also feature designs which are realistic copies of natural forms, rather than stylized designs like in ''okir''. Marine themes are particularly common, including depictions of
dugong The dugong (; ''Dugong dugon'') is a marine mammal. It is one of four living species of the order Sirenia, which also includes three species of manatees. It is the only living representative of the once-diverse family Dugongidae; its closest m ...
s (''duyong''), usually with a person riding on its back. The three most common ''okil'' motifs used by the Muslim Sama are ''dauan-dauan'' (leaf motifs), ''kaloon'' (curlicues and curved lines), and ''agta-agta'' or ''buaya'' (fish or crocodile motifs). Nevertheless, Sama ''okil'' share some common motifs with ''okir''. The Maranao ''naga'' (sea serpent) figure is believed to be related to the Sama ''agta-agta'' motifs. They are a particularly common motif in the beautifully-carved prows, sterns, and gunwales of various Sama-Bajau boats. ''Okil'' are also highly important among Sama grave markers ('' sunduk'') which are found in the ancient traditional burial grounds of the Sama people in some (usually uninhabited) islands of Sulu and
Tawi-Tawi Tawi-Tawi, officially the Province of Tawi-Tawi ( tl, Lalawigan ng Tawi-Tawi; Tausug: ''Wilaya' sin Tawi-Tawi''; Sinama: ''Jawi Jawi/Jauih Jauih''), is an island province in the Philippines located in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim ...
. These include some of the oldest examples of ''okil'', which are usually carved from coral and limestone. Wooden carved grave markers are common later on, usually made from or carved from the boat belonging to the deceased. These are usually carved into human figures that represent the deceased. With graves of women identifiable by the presence of combs and mirrors, and graves of men by the depiction of head coverings. Graves of children usually have smaller figures. A common relatively recent tradition is the carving of elaborate stylized bed frames as grave markers. These graves are often decorated with buntings and food offerings, again reflecting the ancient
ancestor worship The veneration of the dead, including one's ancestors, is based on love and respect for the deceased. In some cultures, it is related to beliefs that the dead have a continued existence, and may possess the ability to influence the fortune of t ...
(''
anito ''Anito'', also spelled ''anitu'', refers to ancestor spirits, nature spirits, and deities in the indigenous Philippine folk religions from the precolonial age to the present, although the term itself may have other meanings and associati ...
'') traditions of the Sama.


Maranao

Maranao ''okir'' motifs are so stylized that it is often easy to tell whether a carving is Maranao or not. Other ethnic groups usually introduce other elements or motifs that are non-traditional to the original Maranao ''okir'' designs. In the past, ''okir'' designs, particularly for textiles, are distinctive enough that a Maranao can usually distinguish which region someone is from based only on the patterns of their ''
malong The malong is a traditional Filipino-Bangsamoro rectangular or tube-like wraparound skirt bearing a variety of geometric or okir designs. The malong is traditionally used as a garment by both men and women of the numerous ethnic groups in the ma ...
'' and their woven decorative strips ('' langkit''). Maranao ''okir'' can be divided into two traditions, the predominantly curvilinear "male" ''okir-a-dato'', and the predominantly rectilinear "female" ''okir-a-bai''. Unlike Sama ''okil'', ''okir'' designs are deliberately stylized when depicting living things, due to Islamic beliefs against
idolatry Idolatry is the worship of a cult image or "idol" as though it were God. In Abrahamic religions (namely Judaism, Samaritanism, Christianity, the Baháʼí Faith, and Islam) idolatry connotes the worship of something or someone other than the A ...
. Traditional creatures featured in ''okir'' are the ''naga'' (sea serpent) and the ''sarimanok'' (feminine ''papanok'', a rooster-like bird with a fish in its beak and another fish in its claws). The ''naga'' is common in the ''panolong'' designs, while ''
sarimanok The Sarimanok (Pronunciation: sá·ri·ma·nók), also known as papanok in its feminine form, is a legendary bird of the Maranao people, who originate from Mindanao, an island in the Philippines, and part of Philippine mythology. It comes fr ...
'' are usually placed on top of poles during celebrations. Other creature motifs traditionally depicted in ''okir'' include crocodiles, parrots, grasshopper heads, and swallowtails. After contact with other cultures, ''okir'' has also depicted non-native animals, including lions, peacocks, and elephants. The most common individual elements of ''okir'' include the following: ;Male (''okir-a-dato'') *''Dapal'' or ''raon'' - a leaf *''Dianawi'' - a pattern resembling a ''nawi'', a bladed carpenter's tool *''Gaglat'' - a pattern resembling a ''glat'', a small kitchen knife *''Kianoko'' - fingernail-like patterns *''Matilak'' - a circle *''Naga'' - a sea serpent in the shape of an 'S' *''Onga'' - fruit *''Pako'' - a fern frond or a spiral *''Pako lawi'' - a fern frond resembling a rooster feather *''Pako longat'' - a fern frond with a cut at one edge *''Pako nai'' - a fern frond with two or more cuts on one edge *''Piowas'' -
betel nut The betel (''Piper betle'') is a vine of the family Piperaceae, which includes pepper and kava. The betel plant is native to Southeast Asia. It is an evergreen, dioecious perennial, with glossy heart-shaped leaves and white catkins. Betel plan ...
seed *''Potyok'' - a bud *''Todi'' - a flower ;Female (''okir-a-bai'') *''Olan-olan'' - a circle or moon *''Biangon'' - rectangle *''Pialang'' - square *''Katimbuang'' - diamond *''Onsod'' - zigzag These elements can be put together to create motifs. Some examples include: ;Male *''Armalis'' - a combination of a fern, leaf, and bud *''Birdo'' - a motif of combined complex designs propagating horizontally, vertically, or diagonally *''Magoyoda'' - a motif of simple elements repeating horizontally *''Niaga'' - a motif which features the ''naga'' along with ''todi'' designs of leaves, vines, and flowers *''Obid-obid'' or ''tiali-tali'' - rope-like designs that are usually used for borders *''Pako rabong'' - a motif of a fern growing vertically, with a central point from which the design radiates outwards ;Female *''Binotoon'' - star patterns *''Pinagapat'' - four-sided designs in a series *''Pinatola'' - a pattern of squares of different colors *''Saragonting'' - a cross Complete designs using these motifs are usually given poetic names like ''sapak a madanding'' ("branch of happiness"), ''raon a kayo'' ("tree leaves") or ''tring indawa'' ("yellow bamboo").


Modern traditions

''Okir''-carving traditions among the Maranao is prominent in the town of
Tugaya, Lanao del Sur Tugaya, officially the Municipality of Tugaya (Maranao: ''Inged a Tugaya''; tl, Bayan ng Tugaya), is a 5th class municipality in the province of Lanao del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 24,778 people. The ...
. It is the traditional center of Maranao artisans and is the industrial capital of Lanao del Sur.


See also

*
T'nalak ''T'nalak'' (also spelled ''tinalak''), is a weaving tradition of the T'boli people of South Cotabato, Philippines. T'nalak cloth is woven exclusively by women who have received the designs for the weave in their dreams, which they believe are a ...


References

{{Reflist, 40em


External links


Tugaya, Lanao del Sur Arts website
Visual motifs Patterns Ornaments Arts in the Philippines