Title
Talismanic shirt
Year/Period
19th century
Region
Philippines
Object Type
Material
Dimension
Object size: 62.2 x 131 cm
Accession No.
1999-01406
Collection of
This talismanic shirt is inscribed with protective symbols and verses in a number of languages including biblical verses in Spanish and Latin. It was believed that if the wearers prepared themselves correctly, fasting and following a special regimen, the shirt would make them invulnerable. While this shirt was made for a Christian, such shirts were also common in Muslim communities in the southern Philippines as well as across the rest of Southeast Asia. This suggests that the concept of invulnerability through the use of talismans is something that pre-dates the introduction of either Christian or Islamic beliefs.
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