Pañuelo

The ''pañuelo'' or ''alampay'' is a Filipino lace-like embroidered neck scarf or shawl worn around the shoulders over the ''camisa'' (blouse). They were square-shaped and were folded in half into a triangle when worn. ''Pañuelos'' are the direct predecessors of the Manila shawl. The Spanish word ''pañuelo'' (from ''paño'' + '' -uelo'') means kerchief, scarf, and handkerchief.

Description

''Pañuelos'' were traditionally made from sheer lace-like ''nipis'' textiles woven from abaca fiber. They were square-shaped and were folded in half into a triangle when worn around the shoulders. They commonly featured floral embroidery (using techniques like ''calado'', ''sombrado'', and ''deshilado''). In addition to the native abacá fiber, they were also made from piña fiber, acquired from pineapples introduced by the Spanish. They also featured borders of lace or knotted fringes, a Spanish element which itself was acquired from the Moors.

They were an integral and distinctive part of the traditional ''baro't saya'' ensemble of Filipino commoners and the ''traje de mestiza'' ensemble of aristocratic Filipino women (along with the '' tapis'' and the ''abaniko'' fans), as they brought modesty to the relatively low neckline of the traditional ''camisa'' shirts. They were worn in the 18th and 19th centuries but are rarely used today in modern versions of the ''terno'' dress.

History

''Pañuelos'' were derived from traditional shawls in the pre-colonial Philippines known as ''alampay''; head and neck coverings among pre-colonial Tagalog women. These were carried over into the Spanish colonial period and acquired European design motifs. They were also luxury goods exported via the Manila galleons to Nueva España and Europe; sometimes as gifts to royalty.

''Pañuelos'' were copied by Chinese traders during the 18th and 19th centuries, and sold to the Philippines, Spain, and other Spanish colonies. These copies were made from silk with Chinese motif embroidery. They became immensely popular in the Philippines and were quickly adopted into the local fashions of upper class Luzon women. Similarly, they became widely sought-after luxury exports soon after they reached the Americas, where they became known as the mantón de Manila. They are believed to have influenced later designs of the ''rebozo'' of Latin America.

Modern usage

Since the 1930s, ''pañuelos'' have been part of the modernized ''traje de mestiza''. In modern days, ''pañuelo'' can still be seen worn with the modern ''terno''; especially on older women. ''Pañuelo'' or ''alampay'' has also been an integral part of Iglesia ni Cristo church uniforms worn by deaconesses in all locale congregations in the Philippines. This white ''terno'', called s''aya'' in Filipino, resembles its early deaconess uniforms worn during the 1930s. They can be decorated with embroidery or have simple designs.

Gallery

File:Datu and binokot (Principalia) - Philippines (c.1668).jpg, A 1668 illustration by Francisco Ignacio Alcina depicting a Visayan ''datu'' and a ''binukot'' noblewoman with a veil (''alampay'') and a ''salakot''
File:Naturales 5.png, Tagalog couple from the Boxer Codex (c. 1590), the woman is wearing an ''alampay'' around her shoulders, the precursor to the ''pañuelo'' and the Manila shawl
File:Filipina mestizas, early 1800s.jpg, Filipina ''mestizas'' from the early 1800s with ''pañuelos'' over ''baro't saya'', by Paul de la Gironiere
File:La Bulaquena by Juan Luna.jpg, '' La Bulaqueña'', an 1895 painting of a woman wearing a ''traje de mestiza'' with a pañuelo
File:La Mestisa by Justiniano Asuncion.jpg, ''La Mestisa'' by Justiniano Asuncion (c. 1841), showing a woman in a striped ''baro't saya'' with a ''pañuelo''
File:Filipino woman 2.jpg, Woman in a ''traje de mestiza'' with a ''pañuelo'' and ''abanico'' folding fan (c. 1900)
File:Folklore of the popular heritage of the State of the Philippines 08 (cropped).jpg, Dancers from the Philippines performing ''Jota Manileña''. The woman is wearing a ''mantón de Manila'' over her traditional ''traje de mestiza'' dress

See also

*Shawl
*Manila shawl
*Fichu
*Barong tagalog

References

{{Reflist

Headgear
Neckwear
Kerchiefs
Shawls and wraps
Spanish clothing
Philippine clothing
Culture in Manila
18th-century fashion
19th-century fashion