Dancing Bulul (Rice Diety)

Origin: Philippines
Material: Hand Carved Wood
Size:  - cm
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A Bulul is a carved wooden figure used to guard the rice crop by the Igorot peoples of northern Luzon. The sculptures are highly stylized representations of ancestors, and are thought to gain power from the presence of the ancestral spirit.

The Ifugao are particularly noted for their skill in carving bululs. Bululs are used in ceremonies associated with rice production and with healing. Creation of a bulul involves alwen bulol ritual by a priest to ensure that the statue gains power.

​The bulul is treated with care and respect to avoid the risk of the spirits of the ancestors bringing sickness. The figures are placed in rice granaries to bring a plentiful harvest. A large granary may need two bululs, and a wealthy noble may also have one or more bululs in his house. Male and female Bulul statues are often found together, with sex-related symbols such as the mortar for the female and pestle for the male.



PH-TA-001

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