Bilos (Model of a Visayan sailing boat)

Sailboat, model, stored in box.

Annotation (May 2024, by Cristina Juan) Indirectly labelled as Vilos in the Peabody Museum's accession records, this dug-out boat model features an unusual boat siding made of Amakan (or sawali in Tagalog).

Amakan which is split and flattened bamboo strips woven into matting. is used in the Philippines today as an inexpensive way to add walling to traditional local houses ( nipa huts). The amakan siding on the boat model is coated with resin from the almasiga tree (Agathis philippinensis) and alkitran, or black tar produced from coal, wood or peat to further seal any holes and gaps.

The model also features a small enclosure topped with palm fronds ( nipa), and a sail that is operated with a pulley.

Images

Map Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard

Rights

For rights and reproductions requests, see https://www.peabody.harvard.edu/about/rightspermissions; Image © President and Fellows of Harvard College, Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology,06-20-70/66723

Identifier

06-20-70/66723

Origin

Oceania, Philippines, Cebu Province

Materials

Wood, Fiber, Plant fiber, Leaf, Iron alloy, Pigment, Cotton, Adhesive

Physical Dimensions

Overall: 50 x 44 x 14 cm (19 11/16 x 17 5/16 x 5 1/2 in.)

Provenance

Gift of the American Museum of Natural History in honor of Prof. Frederic Ward Putnam’s 50th anniversary at Harvard University, 1906

Acquisition Date

1906

Display status

Not on display

References

For references used in the article:

Galang, Ricardo E. . Types of Watercraft in the Philippines. Philippine Journal of Science, 75.3: 291–304. 1941. Galang pdf

Official Website

https://collections.peabody.harvard.edu/objects/88256

Collection

Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard

Cite this Page

“Bilos (Model of a Visayan sailing boat),” Mapping Philippine Material Culture, accessed July 2, 2024, https://philippinestudies.uk/mapping-dev-50/items/show/11742.

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