Maranao Malong
The National Museum of the Philippines continues the Maranao malong series in the Southern Philippines, in celebration of the 2022 National Women’s Month.
Malong landap is also classified according to its dominant color. “Landap a rambaring” has magenta fabrics in combination with green panels of cloth. “Landap a gadong” has dominant green color while “Pangelemen” is black. The most valued is the “Landap binaning,” or the yellow malong used during ceremonial occasions.
In the past, the magenta and yellow colored malong were reserved only for Maranao nobility.
The “Malong Andon” is now considered rare and highly valued. It has a white, yellow, green, and black geometric designs set on a crimson red background.
It also has a curvilinear okir design with harmonious colors woven into it. Design elements like batabor (asterisk-like design spread almost all over the (malong), onsod (zigzag), pamorak, and bombol a mera (peacock feathers) have meanings to the weavers. The “bombol a mera” design is sometimes seen as a subject of Maranao “mamandiyan” (cloth decoration for wall) and carpets.
It usually has a bird design represented using sequins that symbolize a union between mystic and self (similar to Tausug Luhul). “Ampik malong” has a simpler and more fundamental geometrical design. It features lines and cross lines of contrasting primary colors. And the black and white geometrical shapes generally form a square pattern.
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