Title:
NATIVE BOWLS
Date Created:
2021-10-13
Description:
Just as leaves, especially coconut fronds, were creatively turned into woven plates so did coconut fruit shells become bowls and cups. Our featured Tagalog source of 1754 documents PANABO, a coconut made into a pitcher. LOMBO meant a large coconut one could drink from. Half a coconut made into a cup was called LONGBO. It seems coconuts of all sizes were used as cups because a PANABYABAN coconut cup was smaller than a LOMBO but bigger than a HONGOT. The cups had no handles. But there are museum examples of coconuts to which ornate silver handles, bases, and lid knobs were added in the 19th century. A coconut shell used as a plate was termed SISAP and TAPTAPAN. Bamboo offered another material for culinary uses. TAYONA was a large bamboo section for storing wine or vinegar. The bamboo pitcher for collecting coconut inflorescence sap to make tuba was called TOQUIL and TIGUISAN. It is a credit to Filipino forebears that they used their natural surroundings creatively. Should coconut and bamboo become fashionable for table use, let us hope their raw materials will be sustainably available and artisanal skills well compensated.
Subjects:
Sanlucar-Noceda Tagalog dictionary Plate Plating Palm Customs Eating Bowls, Coconut
Exhibition:
Tagalog 1754
Source:
A polished coconut shell bowl. Contributor: Lugres
Type:
Image;Still Image
Format:
image/jpeg
Source
Preferred Citation:
"NATIVE BOWLS", Philippine Food History, Felice P. Sta. Maria
Reference Link:
felicepstamaria.net/items/coll290.html